To Love Again
by OrchDork4Ever
Summary: This story is about how Clary found love, but had it taken away. She makes a promise to never love again. Then she meets Jace, and everything changes. Should she open her heart to love again? Or will she just end up getting her heart broken again?
1. Chapter 1

As I slowly browsed through the poorly stocked book section at Target, I ran into my friend Simon. We started talking until I felt somebody bump into me. "Holy shit that's cold!" I exclaimed.

"God I'm so sorry," the stranger said. I looked down and saw that I was covered in blue slushee from shoulder to hip. He started handing me napkins and trying to help, but I heard Simon snickering quietly to himself.

I turned around, "It's not funny you know."

"Oh yeah right, not funny," he said, trying to restrain his laughs.

"Listen, I really am sorry," the stranger said.

"You know what….," but I bit back my rude comment because I actually looked up at this stranger. He had chocolate brown eyes and lush, brown hair that made me want to run my fingers through. His body wasn't that bad either. Tall and not very muscular but nice and lean, a swimmer maybe.

"It's fine, don't worry about it," I said, cleaning the rest of the slushee off me, but the floor was another matter. I looked down at it pointedly. Simon suggested we move to the next aisle and I agreed, but the hot stranger still followed us.

"Again, I'm really sorry," he said.

"And again, don't worry about it. So…you got a name?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Yeah, I'm Jonah," he said.

I shook his hand and said, "Clary." Our eyes locked and neither of us let go until someone cleared their throat.

"Oh and this is Simon," I said breaking contact.

"Hey," they greeted each other. We were just standing there and it was a kind of awkward silence so someone had to break it.

"So do you go to school around here?" I asked.

"Umm well I will. I just enrolled at Manhattan High," he said. Simon not so subtly elbowed me in the ribs.

"Oh really, we go there too," I said surprised.

"What a coincidence," Simon said sarcastically, so I elbowed him back in the ribs.

"Wow that's cool. Now I know two people at least," he said with a dimpled smile.

"Yeah," I heard my mom calling, "well I have to go now."

"Oh, ok sure," he said unsure of what to say next.

"So I'll see you around?" I asked.

"Yeah definitely," he agreed, "wait, well around where exactly?"

"Well, how 'bout the cinema on 6th street. Let's say Friday at 6:30?"

"Sounds great," his face lighting up.

"Bye," I said.

"See you Friday," he said smoothly. Then he remembered Simon and said, "Oh nice meeting you."

"Yeah same here," Simon said, following me. We walked in silence until Simon said, "Wow, what was that guy about?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked incredulously.

"He was a total creeper! How he "happened" to spill his drink on you," he said, actually using air quotes.

"Why Simon, are you jealous?" I teased.

"Absolutely not!" his face flushing a slight pink.

"Okaaaaaay," I said dragging the word out.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I got to go," he said and was off. I laughed to myself quietly and couldn't help but anticipate Friday.

- - - - - - - - - - - -Friday Night- - - - - - - - - - -

Everyone that was invited was already here. It's 6:50. Just our usual crowd Simon, Mia, Isabel, and my brother Jonathon. Simon and Mia went to go buy our tickets while I discreetly looked to see if a certain somebody was here. I guess not discreetly enough for Isabel.

"Hmmm, you wouldn't happen to be looking for your slushee boy would you?" she asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I lied. I turned to look at her and saw the smirk on her face that meant she wasn't buying a word of it.

"Hey, don't worry if he doesn't show," Jonathon said, putting an arm around my shoulders comfortingly.

"Like I care," I scoffed, but Jonathon knows me too well to believe that. So he just tightened his arm around me. As we were walking towards the entrance, Isabel said, "Oooh, who is that?" I turned and saw Jonah tiding towards us. As I waited for him, it felt like there were butterflies in my stomach.

"I'm guessing that's him," Jonathon said.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," Jonah apologized.

"Don't worry about it," I said and smiled reassuringly. He smiled back and neither one of us said a word until Isabel discreetly cleared her throat.

"Oh, ummm, this is my brother Jonathon, my friend Isabel, Mia, and you remember Simon," I said, motioning to everyone in the circle. A round of greetings came from the group. I could see Isabel assessing him from head to toe.

"So, we should probably go get your ticket. We decided to watch The Woman in Black. That's cool right?" I asked.

"Yeah no problem. Let's go," he said smiling. I walked next to him in silence and tried to control my beating heart. I barely know him, but I've never felt like this before.

"So do you miss your old home?" I asked as we walked into the theater. We were about five minutes early, so it was safe to talk.

"Kind of," he said, "I miss my friends, but I have a feeling that being here won't be that bad." He smiled down at me and I couldn't help but smile back. We sat down towards the front and I didn't hesitate when I went to go sit down next to Jonah. He smiled at me, but then I squirmed in my seat when I felt someone poke me in the ribs.

"Hey!" I exclaimed.

"What? Just making sure you were alive," Simon smirked. I stuck my tongue out at him and poked him back even harder. I was satisfied when I heard an ow from him in response.

"I turned back to Jonah and saw an odd look in his eye. "So do you have any brothers or sisters?" I asked.

"No I'm an only child," he said.

"Oh, did you ever get lonely?" I asked. Imagining what my life would be like without Jonathon, definitely made me appreciate him more.

"No not really. My mom and dad were always there for me and I have a lot of cousins," he said. I didn't answer because the lights dimmed signaling that the movie was going to start, or at least the ten minute previews. I smiled at him one last time and turned my attention to the screen.

The movie was pretty good. And Daniel Radcliff wasn't that bad looking. I was really getting into the movie when the really creepy lady popped out of no where. I jumped and reached for the armrest but what I didn't anticipate was grabbing Jonah's hand so we ended up holding hands. I glanced down and quickly took my hand away. "Sorry," I whispered. Thankfully it was dark; otherwise he would have seen my face flush red.

"It's okay," he whispered back. I looked at his face and saw him smiling, but I could have sworn I saw some other hidden emotion there. I quickly dismissed the notion de to the darkness in the room. The rest of the movie, I was electrically aware of him sitting next to me. And I was careful of where I placed my hands so we wouldn't have to have another run in.

When the movie was over we walked outside and got ready to leave. I saw Jonah look at his phone. "It looks like it's time for me to go," he said.

"Okay, well it was nice meeting you," Jonathon said pleasantly. I looked at him oddly because he never acted this happy, especially to a guy I might have an interest in.

"Thanks. It was nice meeting all of you," Jonah said when his eyes landed on me.

"Come on, I'll walk you part of the way," I suggested.

"Sure," he agreed, pleased with my response. We walked in silence for a few minutes until he stopped.

"Thanks for inviting me," he said.

"Well thanks for coming. I'm glad you could make it," I said warmly.

"So, do you think that I could have your number? You know just in case I get lost, New York is a pretty big city," he said with a smile in his eyes.

I deliberated for a split second and then said, "Sure."

"Great," he said and took out his cell phone. I punched in my number and saved it.

"So, I'll call you," he promised.

"Okay," I said and because I didn't want it to be awkward, I went in for a hug. His strong arms wrapped around me and I felt utterly safe.

"Bye," he said pulling away, too soon for me.

"Bye," I replied. I walked back to my friends and felt like I was walking on air. All from just one hug. Imagine what it would be like to kiss him?

"You ready?" Jonathon asked.

"Yeah, let's go," I replied.

"Sooo….did you get some?" Mia asked.

"What? We just met. What are you talking about?" I replied.

"Well, Mia's right. You look very happy right now," Isabel agreed.

"I'm fine," I growled and stomped my way to the car. I felt Jonathon walk next to me and it looked like he was going to say something so I interrupted him before he could. "Don't say one word!"

He closed his mouth and we walked to the car in silence. The ride home was quiet too. I couldn't help but think of Jonah the whole way home. Wondering if he was actually going to call me, his warm chocolate brown eyes, and his warm embrace. If I didn't stop thinking about him soon, I'd get chills! When I got home, I went straight up to my room and lied down. I tried to slow my thoughts and ended up drifting off to sleep dreaming of nothing unparticular.

**A/N: Gonna have to wait a little bit for Jace to come into the picture, sorry. :/ But no need to fear, he will be joining the story soon enough!**


	2. Chapter 2

- - - - - - - - - - The Next Afternoon - - - - - - - - - -

"Hello?" I answered on my cell.

"Hey it's Jonah," I heard.

"Oh, how's it going?" I asked.

"Good. Listen, I just wanted to call and ask….." he trailed off.

"Ummm, hello?" I asked.

"Yeah, sorry. Ok, do you want to go out with me? But even though we just met, I really like you and I want to get to know you better," he said quickly.

This time it was my turn to be speechless. "Oh, you know. I'd actually really like that," I said.

"Great! How about we go roller blading tomorrow night?" he asked.

"That sounds great. I can't," I said.

"Me too," he said, "but I have to go. I'll call you later."

"Ok, bye," I replied happily.

"Bye," he said sounding equally as happy. I was excited and was sure that things were going to turn out great.

- - - - - - - - - - 6 blissful months later, end in a tragedy - - - - - - - - -

"Thanks for walking me home," I said, "are you sure you can't stay awhile?"

"Yeah I'm sure. I promised my aunt I'd help her move into her new house today," he said.

"Right," I said, "I'll talk to you later then." We were in front of my house so I went on my tip toes and wrapped my arms around his neck. I kissed him and even though it felt like I've done this a million times, it never ceases to make my heart skip a beat. We just stood there, wrapped in each others arms. (_If only I had held on a few moments longer, I would later think to myself_.)

As I turned around, I heard a screech and a sickly thud. I turned back around and saw Jonah sprawled on the floor with blood pooling rapidly by his head. I quickly ran over to him with silent tears already running down my face. The driver got out, cursed very loudly, and jumped back in his truck.

"Hey!" I yelled, but he was already driving down the road.

"Jonah, Jonah! Can you hear me?" I asked, trying not to move him. I checked his pulse, but I couldn't find one. I quickly ran to my bag. I took out my phone and dialed 911, but it felt like centuries before the ambulance and the police arrived.

They loaded him into the ambulance and I knew that he was gone. More tears ran down my face and I could barely get the whole story out to the police officer. The truck was parked in front of my neighbor's house when we got there, so I told them to start there. He went to go talk to the paramedics before they left and he came back with a grim face. "I'm sorry to tell you that, that young man is dead," he said. I already suspected this, but having it confirmed made it even worse.

"I'm going to call his parents and then I'll interview your neighbor's. I'll let you know when we find out who did this," he promised.

"Okay, thank you," I said, and stumbled into my house. As soon as the door closed, I started sobbing uncontrollably. I was all alone and mom and Jonathon wouldn't be back until later. I couldn't myself to call anybody though. I managed to make my way to my bedroom and just collapsed onto my bed. I couldn't believe it even though I still had some of his blood on my hands. At that precise moment, I promised my self that I would never love anyone like that again. It just hurts too much.

- - - - - - - - - - - - 5 sleepless months later - - - - - - - - - - - -

I sat in the car with Isabel and Mia by my side, taking in the sights of L.A. "Thanks again for letting us stay the summer at your beach house Aunt Lisa," Isabel said.

"Oh don't worry about it. I hardly ever use it, so you guys will be doing me a favor," Lisa replied. I continued to gaze at all the buildings passing by. Isabel and Mia said they wanted to come because of the beaches and the celebrities, but I know that they just wanted me to get out of my funk. It's just that ever since the accident, I haven't been myself. Like a part of myself died too, but I'd never admit that to anyone. They'd just say that I was a love sick teenager and that I'd get over it. A part of me doesn't want to, but I'm hoping this trip will bring me back to life, so to speak.

Mia poked me in the ribs, "Hey, you okay? No more bad dreams?"

Ever since Jonah died, his lifeless body has starred in my dreams more than once. "Yeah but hopefully a change of scenery will make things better," I said cheerfully.

Isabel glanced at us from the front seat but said nothing. "We're here!" Lisa proclaimed.

"Oh my gosh, it's huge!" Mia exclaimed.

"Isn't it awesome?" Isabel agreed. I was speechless. The house was beautiful and it was right on the beach! "It's amazing," I said in awe.

"Come on. Get your things so I can show you your rooms. You'll have your own rooms, but you'll have to decide who….." Lisa didn't get to finish her sentence. We ran into the house to pick out our rooms. While Isabel and Mia paused to gaze at the inside of the house, I ran upstairs because I knew one of the rooms was bound to have a view of the beach. "I call this one!" I yelled as I heard their footsteps running up the stairs. The room was beautiful. It had a balcony overlooking the beach and a huge comfortable looking bed. They came in and didn't object, but did remark on how lucky I was.

"Damn! I knew I shouldn't have paused. I lost valuable seconds," Isabel grumbled.

"Well, what are you guys waiting for? Don't you guys still have to pick out your rooms?" I asked. They glanced at each other and booked it down the hall. I laughed and went to go get my bags. When I came back to my room I was going to unpack, but that huge, comfortable bed was calling to me, so I dropped my bags and jumped onto the bed. I sighed, even better than I imagined, especially since I was so exhausted from the trip.

I started dozing off and the next thing I knew, it was already dark out! I checked my phone and it was already 8 o'clock. I slept for three whole hours! I didn't think I was that tired, but I totally felt refreshed. After a quick potty break, I found everyone downstairs watching tv. "Hey there sleepy head," Isabel said.

"Good morning," I joked, rubbing the rest of the sleep from my eyes.

"Do you want some lasagna? Since you missed dinner?" Lisa asked.

"Oh, sure that sounds great," I said as my stomach growled at the thought of food. I sat next to Mia on the couch as Lisa brought over my food. Grateful, I dug in heartily. It tasted amazing, but I'm not sure if I was starving or if Lisa was that great a cook. I was leaning towards the latter.

"So what are our plans for tomorrow?" I asked.

"Well, we were thinking we'd go to the beach," Mia said.

"Yeah, because there's bound to be some good looking male specimens there," Isabel said with a sly wink in her eye. I sighed inwardly, but didn't comment. They'd been trying to set me up for months. Mia let the comment slide too and turned her attention back to the tv. They were watching a lifetime movie that I'd already seen, but I didn't mind. We watched the rest of the movie in a comfortable silence. Talking every so often when Lisa asked us questions. When the movie was over, we decided to go upstairs to the media room. Lisa excused herself to her room because she still had to get up early for work in the morning. We felt too awake to just sit down and watch another movie, so we decided to play rock band. Izzy was on guitar, Mia was on drums, and I decided to sing. They looked at me in surprise, but didn't say anything. I haven't sung aloud in a while, but I felt like it was time to get out behind the wall I was always hiding behind. I was kind of timid because I hadn't sung in so long, but after a few moments, I got into the music. It was a song by Muse and I just got lost in the song.

I didn't realize when we finally finished, but when I looked up, Izzy and Mia were looking at me with smiles on their faces. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing," they said in unison.

"Okaaaay…" I said hesitantly. They turned back to the screen and we moved on to the next song. I felt really good about singing again and gave my all into the next few songs. After a while, we shut it off and just got in a circle and talked. What I love about our friendship was that we could talk about anything, but I was surprised when Izzy asked, "So, are you going to scope out the beach hotties?"

Mia gave her a sharp look, but I stayed silent. I took a few moments to process her question. I didn't want to get into another relationship and I promised myself I wouldn't, but I know Jonah wouldn't want me shying away from life like this. "I don't want to get into another relationship," I told her.

"Well you don't have to get into a serious relationship! Just mingle, throw yourself out there a little," she suggested.

"You don't have to do anything Clary. Just enjoy yourself this summer," Mia said.

"I will. This is supposed to be the best summer ever! I don't want you guys to worry, I'm moving on. The past is the past. I have to start living my life again," I proclaimed.

Izzy looked like she believed me, but Mia looked slightly dubious. "I think I'm going to bed early tonight," I told them while stretching.

"What? How can you be tired after your long ass nap?" Izzy asked.

"Oh, leave her alone," Mia defended, "good night."

"See you guys in the morning," I said, making my way towards my room.

"Okay, goodnight," Izzy said. I walked into my room and walked out onto the balcony. The fresh, salt air soothed my warm skin. I did not think I could sleep, but the crashing of the waves was lulling me to sleep. So I went back inside and curled up on my side. I slept soundly for the first time in months.


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up to find that it was 10:30. I can't believe I slept that much after my nap, but I felt good about today. Mia and Izzy were still asleep so I went downstairs and found a note from Lisa.

_Hey girls,_

_I'm going to take a guess and say that you didn't get up until the crack of noon! I had to go to work but I'm pretty sure you guys can manage breakfast. The kitchen is fully stocked, so have a great time. Call me if you need me._

_-Lisa_

I went back upstairs to get dressed and went out onto the balcony to draw. I looked out to the beach and saw that plenty of people were already arriving. It looked like a big volleyball game was about to start. I saw a pair of volleyball players walk by and the tall blonde one looked up and our eyes locked. He smiled at me and I felt myself smile back at him. I know it didn't mean anything, but that smile made me go all warm and fuzzy. I hadn't felt like that in a long time.

I turned away and focused on my drawing, but I couldn't get him out of my head. He was just a stranger that happened to smile at me. That was it. It didn't matter how hot he looked. It didn't matter, I chanted to myself. I sighed and went down to make breakfast.

Jace P.O.V (finally )

I was walking down the beach with Sebastian when I felt as if there was someone else there. I looked up, ignoring what Sebastian was saying, and saw a girl with fiery red hair. It was hard not to go over there and introduce myself. There was something vulnerable about her, but it looked like if she had to, she could take care of herself. I smiled at her and was rewarded with a small tentative smile in return.

She went back inside and I kept walking, but I couldn't get her out of my head. "Jace are you even listening?" Seb asked, frustrated.

"What?" I asked.

"Get your head in the game dude! We have to kick ass in this volleyball game!" Seb raged.

"Of course we will. You worry too much," I said. I let him rant some more, but my mind kept wandering back to the girl with the fiery red hair.

Clary P.O.V

Last night was the first night that my dreams didn't have any blood in them. I dreamt that I was walking on the beach with some tall angel like guy. He had soft, ebony wings and was about to fly away somewhere, but I couldn't decide if I wanted him to stay or not. Then, the dream ended and I don't know what I chose. For some reason, the blonde haired volleyball player seemed oddly familiar. I dismissed the notion and went downstairs to wait for my roomies to wake up.

They both ended up waking up around 12 and were still a little groggy. So I started making breakfast for us. I was working on the sausage and bacon while they were getting dressed. I finished the eggs and buttered the toast by the time they came downstairs. "Oh! That smells great, but we would have helped you!" Mia exclaimed.

"Speak for yourself," Izzy said.

"Don't worry about it. I was up anyways. Oh, by the way Izzy, there's a special ingredient in yours," I said, pushing the plate towards her.

She looked at it and said, "You didn't put rat poison in it, did you?"

"Oh, no we were all out," I said, mock disappointed.

"That would have been an improvement to your cooking anyways Izzy," Mia mumbled.

"Did you say something Mia," Izzy said with a threat implied in her voice.

"Oh no nothing at all," Mia replied happily. We sat down and ate in silence for a few moments. But I couldn't help but think about my dream and the guy from this morning. I decided not to tell Izzy and Mia because they'd just bombard me with a zillion questions. I couldn't get his smile out of my mind and his hair made me want to run my fingers through it. He looked friendly and open. I also couldn't get over the fact that he reminded me so much of the wing clad hero in my dream. I snapped out of it when I realized that Izzy was talking to me. "I'm sorry what did you say?"

Mia and Izzy exchanged a quick glance when Izzy repeated, "I said, you wanted to go to the beach right?"

"Oh, yea totally! It's not going to be that hot today, so it should be fun," I replied. After we cleaned up the dishes, we went to go put on our bathing suits. Izzy wouldn't even let me bring a one piece. She made me go buy a brand new bathing suit that shows a lot more skin than I preferred, but it's hard to say no to Izzy. As I finished getting ready, I had a sudden image of the boy from this morning. I couldn't stop thinking about the ripple of muscle he must have underneath his shirt. Mentally, I shook myself because a guy like that only cared about sports and which cheerleader he was going to date next.

I went downstairs to find that I was the last one down. "Sheesh, what took you so long?" Mia exclaimed.

"Hey it takes time to look this good!" I joked. We walked out the back porch and the afternoon sun immediately engulfed us with its warm presence. We found a good spot to put the umbrella and out towels. As soon as I made sure we all had on sun block, we headed into the water. I could feel eyes watching our retreating backs. When it came to admirers, Isabel and Mia had an abundant amount of them. I didn't necessarily have a long list of guys waiting for me, but I didn't necessarily make myself available. I dipped my toes into the waters edge; and despite the warmth of the sun, the water was freezing!

"Come on Clary! Get in the water!" Mia yelled as she came up from under the water.

"Uhh," I deliberated, "ahh!" I screamed as both Mia and Izzy splashed me with water.

"Okay, okay! I'm coming!" I said as I walked into the water then dove underneath so I cold get used to it. Once I came up for air, my friends swam over to me.

"It feels great, huh?" Mia asked.

I laughed, "Yeah, it's amazing!" We continued wading in the water for another hour or so. We dried off and put our dresses back on. Then we started walking towards the pier. As we were walking, we could see a huge crowd gathered up ahead. We looked at each other then sped the pace up a little to see what all the commotion was about.

"Looks like a volley ball game," Mia pointed out.

"Thank you captain obvious," Izzy exclaimed.

"No problem," Mia retorted. I looked and saw that it was the same two guys from this morning.

"At least we know who they want to win," Izzy said. She looked pointedly at the girls in the bleachers. Practically every single girl watching the game had their eyes fastened on the players on the left, who happened to be the guys from this morning.

"At least we know why! Those guys are hot!" Mia exclaimed. I couldn't disagree with that.

"Yeah they are, but let's hit the pier. I want to go shopping," I said unenthusiastically. I just wanted to get out of there for some reason. As we were walking away, I lifted my water bottle to take a sip when I felt somebody run into me from the side and then I was lying on the sand with the bronze haired volley ball player on top of me.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" he asked, his beautiful face creased with worry.

"I think I will be…..as soon as you stop crushing me," I gasped.

"Oh, right sorry," he said again. He got up and helped me up.

"Don't worry about it," I said. I started shaking off the sand, but he still hadn't left. I looked up at him and we sort of just smiled at each other until his partner said, "Dude?"

We broke out of our trance and he spoke again, "Sorry again. See you around?"

"Umm, maybe?" I replied, unsure. He turned and went back to the game with one last smile in my direction. I turned to find that Mia and Izzy were staring at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Mia was it just me, or was Clary flirting with a complete stranger?" Izzy asked.

As we continued walking, I complained, "Oh come on you guys! Relax. He bumped into me; and he apologized. There, end of story."

"Okay….." Mia said. We finally made it to the pier by then, so it was time to shop 'til we dropped, or I complained enough, whichever came first.

Jace P.O.V

I was totally in the zone today. Nothing was going to stop Sebastian and me from winning this game. The ball was soaring towards me and I figured I could hit it before it went out, but I was way off. I ended up running into someone very small and soft. She gave a small sound of surprise and I looked down to find that I was staring into the eyes of the red headed beauty from this morning.

For a second, I couldn't say anything. I could only feel her soft body under me and all I wanted to do was just lie there with her. I finally realized that I should apologize so I said, "Oh god, I'm sorry. Are you okay?" _Oh god, _I thought. Who says that? I sound like a nerd. Then I realized what she was saying and got up so I wouldn't be crushing her anymore.

I couldn't help but smile at her and was happy to be rewarded with the most radiant smile I have ever seen. But of course Sebastian had to ruin the moment by bringing me back to reality. "Dude?" he asked. Regretfully, I turned away from her. I definitely had to see her again, but all I said was, "See you around?" How lame is that? I could already not think straight around her and for some reason that made her that much more interesting.

"Umm, maybe," she replied unsure. She walked away with her friends and I wish I could have walked away with her. I served the ball and the rest of the game went by smoothly. I wasn't really into the game anymore though. All I could think about was that red haired beauty. There was just something about her, and I didn't even know her name! I think that was the most frustrating part! It was never hard for me to get a girls name, but this girl was different. She wasn't falling over trying to get my number. And there was just something about those amazing green eyes that practically hypnotized me. Sooner or later though, we'd run into each other again, and this time I won't let her slip through my fingers.

Clary P.O.V

We were looking through stores for about an hour and a half when we decided to head back. "Oh, how about some ice cream?" I exclaimed.

"Yeah sounds good," Izzy, said.

"Then to the ice cream shop!" yelled Mia. We laughed and half ran to the ice cream shop. As we were choosing our ice cream, I saw three guys watching us from the corner of my eye. When we were walking out, the three guys walked up to us and blocked our path. "Well hello there. You come here often?" the guy in the middle asked, who appeared to be the ring leader of the three.

He had to be a local and one with the lamest pick up lines ever at that. "Excuse me, get out of our way please," Izzy said, stepping in front of me. She was still so protective of me and sometimes it comes in handy, but other times, it was kind of insulting that she thinks I can't take care of myself.

"Oh come on now. I believe I was talking to your friend," he said, "I'm Jordan by the way." He only looked at me when he said it and it gave me the creeps.

"Well I don't necessarily feel like talking. So excuse us, but we have to go now," I said as I grabbed Izzy and Mia's arm and steered them away.

"Ugh! What was that guy's problem?" Izzy fumed as soon as we were out of sight.

"It was Clary. She's too hot for her own good," Mia stated as if it were a fact.

"Well I'm sorry if my hotness is a danger to you," I said frostily.

"Oh chill Clary. You know I was only trying to protect you," Izzy defended herself.

"Well I can take care of myself, "I said, "You can't always protect me. Someday, somewhere, you're not going to be there to fix my problems. You have to let me face my own battles. I know you just want to protect me, but I've got to learn to do it on my own."

"Well….okay," Izzy said, speechless.

"Listen, I'm sorry. Do you guys mind if I walk around by myself for awhile? I need time to think," I asked. They looked at each other for a short period of time, then they both nodded.

"Thanks, I'll call you when I head back to the house," I said. I turned and walked away. I promised myself I wouldn't be a downer this summer. We barely got here and I was already picking a fight with Izzy. Hopefully a little time to myself will calm me down.

**A/N: Okay so hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading and reviewing!I really appreciate it. If you guys have any feed back, feel free to let me know! Happy reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for not updating in awhile, been pretty busy. Hope you like this chapter!**

Jace P.O.V

There she was, my red haired beauty, walking towards the bench in front of me. I was going to approach her, but she looked so deep in thought, that I didn't want to bother her. Then a boy that looked about eight years old walked by, softly crying to himself. He sat down on the edge of the bench and continued to cry. He looked really sad, but I don't know how to handle those kinds of situations so I felt at a loss of what to do. Then she went and sat next to him. "Hey sweetie are you okay?" I heard her ask.

"N-n-no. I can't find m-m-y mom-m-my!" the little boy stuttered.

"Okay, do you want me to wait with you so you're not alone?" she asked.

"Okay," he answered.

"I'm Clary by the way. What's yours?" she asked, handing him a tissue. So that was her name! It had a certain ring to it that made me want to say it over and over again.

He blew his nose and said, "I'm Ben."

"Well Ben, do you know your mommy's cell phone number?" She asked.

"Umm, I think I do," he said uncertainly. After several wrong tries it seemed like they finally got the right number. They were on the phone for about thirty seconds before she hung up.

"Well Ben, it seems like your mommy should be here in about 10 minutes," she said comfortingly. He just nodded his head as if he didn't quite believe her.

"You want some candy while we wait?" she asked. He nodded and after a few skittles, he seemed to warm up to her. I saw a women walking briskly towards them and assumed that she was his mom.

"Mom!" Ben yelled as he ran into her arms. Her arms went around him as if she'd never let go.

"Thank you so much. I'm Susan," she said gratefully.

"No problem," Clary said, "glad I could help. And I'm Clary by the way."

"I mean it. Thank you so much for helping Ben. Would you like a reward or…" she said.

"Oh, no. Don't worry about. I'm really glad I could help," Clary said modestly.

Suddenly Ben threw his arms around her waist and said, "Thank you for helping me find my mom."

Clay hugged him back lightly and said, "No problem." Ben let her go and went back to his mom.

"Thanks again, it was nice meeting you Clary," Susan said.

"Bye, it was nice meeting both of you," Clary said sincerely. Susan and Ben left, leaving Clary to turn away and sigh. That's when she realized I was watching the whole time.

Clary P.O.V

When I turned back around I realized someone was watching me and was surprised to see that it was the guy from the beach. I walked over to him and before I could say anything, he said, "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" I asked, confused.

"Help that little boy when everyone else just ignored him," he explained.

"Because it was the right thing to do. Wouldn't you have done the same thing?" I asked.

"I'm not sure," he said truthfully, "I'm Jace by the way."

"Clary," I said while shaking his hand.

"Well it's nice to meet you. And sorry again for bumping into you this morning," he said ruefully.

"And for ease dropping on me just now," I teased.

"Well you interested me," he said unashamedly.

"Good to know," I said, "and don't worry about this morning, that was one of the best parts of the day."

"Well I'm glad I could make your day more entertaining," he said smiling.

"So do you live around her?" I asked.

"Yeah, I live with my aunt and my cousins. What about you?" I wanted to ask him about his parents, but it didn't seem like he would want to talk about it.

"I'm from New York. I'm visiting for the summer with my friends Mia and Isabel in a friend's beach house," I said.

"Oh yeah, I think I saw you this morning," he said.

"Yeah that might have been me," I smiled, remembering the way we locked eyes this morning. Wait, was flirting? I have to end this now before I get my hopes up just so they can be crushed.

"So….." he trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"I actually have to meet my friends back at the house. I kind of disappeared for a little while there. I don't want them to get anxious," I said.

"Well, do you think I can see you again?" he asked boldly.

I didn't want to, but it seems as if my body was answering for me. I started getting butterfly's in my stomach and my head nodded of its own accord. "Yes, I'd like that," I eventually said.

"Great, why don't you give me your number and I'll call you later?" he suggested

"Sounds good," I said as I gave over my number. As I turned to walk away, I gave him a quick smile. He smiled a beautiful lopsided smile in return. I was smiling to myself the whole way home. I couldn't get him out of my head and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I definitely shouldn't start anything with him; it's just a recipe for disaster. Once I got home, my friends immediately picked up on my mood.

"Why so smiley all of a sudden?" Isabel asked.  
>"Nothing," I said nonchalantly.<p>

"Just spill it Clare bear," Mia said.

I thought about it and realized that I might as well get it over with. So I recounted the whole story from since I left them. When I finished, they were staring at me with their mouths hanging open, not a very attractive sight. "Okay, you guys are starting to look like fish. Close your mouths!" I said.

"He sounds amazing," Mia exclaimed.

"He sounds too good to be true," Isabel said dryly.

"Oh come on Izzy, stop being such a kill joy. I think its great Clary's mingling," Mia said.

"I think it's great too, but…..are you sure you want to start something already?" Izzy asked me.

"Guys chill out. I just met him! It's not like I'm planning on marrying him! I just agreed to see him again. It's no big deal," I said.

"Are you really ready to get over Jonah that quickly?" Isabel asked.

I felt like she just slapped me in the face, "How could you even say that!" I got up and ran to my bedroom before they could see they tears glistening in my eyes.

"Why the hell did you say that for?" I heard Mia exclaim. I almost tripped on the last step going up, but managed to make it to my room in one piece. I just flopped onto my bed face first and let the tears flow. All the pain from the past few months seemed to come rushing back in a wave of guilt and sorrow. All the unspoken words I never got to say, all the moments we would never be able to share, and the horrible words that were just uttered to me. I thought Izzy understood what was going on with me. She's my best friend; and it feels like she just ripped the stitched out of my heart when I just managed to semi sow myself back together again.

I heard a tentative knock on the door and raised my head. I was tempted to ignore it, but eventually I got up and opened the door. Isabel stood outside my door looking distressed by my tear streaked face. "I'm sorry," she blurted out before I could slam the door back in her face.

"I didn't mean to upset you," she said, "I just don't want you to get hurt. I know you're happy and I'm glad you are, but I just don't want you rushing into things. I-"

"Can you stop talking for one second," I interrupted, "First of all, I don't see where you get the idea that I'm rushing into things. And second, you don't have to worry about me getting hurt because I already made a pact to myself that I wouldn't get involved with anyone. And thirdly, I can't believe you brought Jonah into this! You know I cared about him so the mere thought that you would insinuate that I could ever get over him is insane. And this was supposed to be the best summer ever but you had to start with your over protective crap." I took a deep breath because I don't think I've ever yelled at anyone for that long, ever, not even Jonathon.

"Are you done?" Izzy asked.

"I think so," I sighed.

"Well I really am sorry Clary. I know I shouldn't have said it, but you know how I speak without thinking sometimes. Do you forgive me?" She asked.

"I guess," Izzy face lightened up, "under one condition. Promise me we won't fight again this summer?"

"Okay, deal," Izzy said. We hugged and it felt like things were finally getting back to normal.

"Is it safe to come up?" Mia yelled from downstairs.

"Systems are a go!" I yelled back. Mia ran up the stairs and paused in front of us, eyeing us cautiously.

"Don't worry, we got everything out of our systems," I said.

"Okay good, that was enough drama to last me a lifetime!" Mia exclaimed.

"You are such a drama queen," I said, "come on; let's go watch a movie or something."

"Okay but I get to pick since you guys kept me waiting downstairs," Mia said dramatically.  
>"Well excuse us for trying to resolve a life long friendship," Izzy said.<p>

"Okay whatever," Mia said, "how about….."

"17 Again!" Mia and Clary both yelled at the same time.

"How do you guys do that?" Izzy asked. Ever since Mia and I met, we have always been able to guess what the other was thinking. In times of need, the other would already know without being told. Mia was the first one to know about Jonah and how much it tore me apart. She was always there when I needed a tissue or some Ben & Jerry's.

"It's a gift!" we said in unison.

"Okay, enough talking. It's time to go drool over some Zac Efron!" Izzy exclaimed. We laughed and ran down the hall to the entertainment room.

By the time the movie was half over, Lisa came home with pizza. "Thank you!" We all chorused as Lisa handed out slices of pizza.

"No problem," she said with a smile. We continued to watch the movie, but after a few minutes, I felt my phone vibrate.

"_Hey _:D" Jace's text read.

I smiled to myself and replied, "_Hello there stranger _;)"

"_Hmmm I won't be a stranger for long,_" he replied_._

"_Pretty cocky huh?_" I replied.

"_Maybe just a little_," he said. I didn't respond to see what he would do, so I continued to watch the movie, wondering what he was thinking.

"_You know I was just kidding right? O.o_," came his anxious reply.

I decided to let him off the hook, "_Yeah its fine. I just wanted 2 c wat u would say_ "

"_I c how it is, don't worry, I will seek my revenge :{) so watcha doin?_" he asked_._

"_Oh nothing, just watching 17 Again w/ my friends & u?_" I asked_._

"_Really? A Zac Efron fan? I'm disappointed in u,_ " he said.

"_Yes really! I 3 him. Who doesn't love a body like that?_" I teased.

"_I could totally take him on,_" he replied_._

"_Here comes Mr. Cocky again,_" I said.

"_Ha-ha just kidding, as long as he doesn't come to wisk u away before I bust out all my amazing charm on you then I'm okay,_" he said.

"_Well I think those chances r pretty slim, but I'm not so sure I'm ready to b charmed anyways,_" I said_._

"_Well, hopefully ill b able to change that,_" he said, "_wat r u doing tomorrow?_"

His answer surprised me so I responded_, _"_Well, I do have a busy schedule to maintain. I'll have to c if I can fit u in._"

"_Well, I'm having another volleyball game tomorrow and I was wondering if u'd like to go?_"he asked_._

"_Hmmm, I may b able to fit that in somewhere. I've got 2 go tho. Goodnight,_"I replied_._

"_Alright, hopefully I'll c u tom. Dream only sweet dreams Clary,_"he said.

"I love that movie," I said.

"Hmmm, me to, but who were you texting just a second ago?" Mia asked.

I deliberated for a second, then said, "Jace."

"What were you guys talking about?" Izzy asked.

"Well he invited me to his game tomorrow," I said.

"Are you gonna go?" Izzy asked.

"Well, I kind of want to. But…," I sighed.

"Do you like him?" Mia asked seriously.

I thought about it and realized that I did. I didn't want to admit it because it felt like I was somehow betraying Jonah. I'm not sulking anymore, but I will always have to live with those horrible memories. However, just thinking of Jace makes the butterflies come back to my stomach and all I can think about is his smile and how I feel so comfortable around him. I finally looked up at Mia and said, "Honestly, yes, but I seriously don't want to start anything. Whatever happens, happens. We'll just see where it goes from here."

"Sounds fair enough," Izzy said reasonable.

"Thanks mom," I said sarcastically.

Before Izzy could say anything, Mia said, "As long as you're happy, that's all that matters, right Izzy?"

Izzy bit back what she was initially going to say and said, "Yeah, your right. Just try not to get into too much trouble."

We had a good laugh before I said goodnight, "I need to take a shower, then I'm heading straight to bed! I'm exhausted!"

"Yeah, flirting with a stranger will do that to you," Izzy said with only humor in her voice.

"He's not a complete stranger! I know some things about him. And at least he's not creepy like that guy from the ice cream shop," I said.

"That is so true. I was getting major creeper vibes from him," Mia exclaimed.

"Ugh, don't even remind me!" Izzy roared.

"Yeah, you were about to rip his head off," Mia muttered.

"Hey, you mess with one of us, you mess with one of us," Izzy defended.

"Let's just forget it. Night guys, I'll see you in the morning," I said as I hugged them good night. I took a hot shower to relax my muscles then dried my hair and went to my room. I went out on the balcony to enjoy the view of the water and realized that there was a full moon. I always love to stare at the moon. It always brought me peace in times of distress. I took strength from it now and went back inside.

I went inside and picked up my poor sketch book. I feel like I haven't drawn in ages. I sat down and pulled out a freshly sharpened pencil, but when I finally got down to drawing, it was just the same thing over and over again. Page after page, all I could see was Jace's beautiful face staring at me. It's nothing compared to the real thing of course but it seemed o help me sleep.

I put my sketch book away and got into bed. I recounted the day's events in my head and smiled to myself. I can't wait until tomorrow. I quickly fell asleep and waited for morning to come.

**A/N: Well hopefully you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry it takes long for me to update, I'll try to update more. Your reviews help motivate me though! So keep reviewing!**


	5. Chapter 5

I woke up wide awake and energized. It was barely 10:35, so I took a guess that Mia and Izzy weren't up yet. I tried to remember what I dreamed about, but couldn't remember enough to make any sense of it. I tip toed down stairs to watch some TV. If Izzy and Mia aren't awake by 11:30, then I'm waking them up because Jace's game starts at 12 o'clock. I settled on a music video channel and went to go grab some cereal. As I was chewing, I kept thinking of Jace and couldn't help but wonder what he thinks of me. I'm probably delusional. A guy like that, doesn't go for girls like me, he's probably just being nice. I never really had a huge group of admirers that was usually Izzy's forte. Jace doesn't act like any boys I know though.

It was almost 11:30, so I decided to pick out what I was going to wear. I decided to wear black shorts that end mid thigh and a purple v-neck t-shirt over a red bikini. I quickly got ready and went to go wake up my roomies. "Rise and shine!" I sang.

"Ugh...," Mia moaned.

"What time is it?" Izzy asked groggily.

"11:30. Up and adam! We've got places to be. You guys better be ready by 12 because if your not, I'll leave without you," I threatened.

"Why are you talking about adam?" Mia asked, still sleepy.

I laughed and started jumping on her bed. "Hey! Okay, okay! I'm up," Mia yelled, "but seriously, who's adam?"

"Wow," Izzy said as we all started laughing.

"Okay, enough giggling! Get ready," I said trying to sound serious but failing epically.

"Ha-ha-ha, but we're not super humans you know. It takes time to look good," Izzy yelled back.

"Oh really? You could have fooled me," I said sarcastically as I walked down stairs. I quickly made ham and egg burritos so that Izzy and Mia could eat on the way. They made it down with two minutes to spare.

"Wow, I think that's a record," I said.

"Well what did you expect when you were practically throwing us out of bed," Izzy said.

"Mmmm, I smell food!" Mia practically moaned.

"Yeah I made you guys some egg burritos to go. So let's go," I said.

"Wait, what are you going to eat?" Izzy asked.

"Oh, I had some cereal earlier," I smiled, "don't worry."

"Clary just wants us to hurry up so she can see her boyfriend," Mia exclaimed as she deliberately walked slower.

"He's not my boyfriend! And hurry up!" I said with a smile.

"Okay, okay, let's go. Clary's going to throw a hissy fit.

"Am not," I muttered. We set off down the beach, towards the volleyball game. There were already a lot of people, but it looked like the game was starting late.

"See," Mia said, pointing to Liam who was jogging into the court, "we're not the only ones that were late."

I still couldn't get over how perfect his body was. I looked at him, but looked away because I was totally staring. When I looked back, he was looking at me. I smiled at him and he smiled back, it was just us for a moment, then the moment was gone as soon as it came. We went to go sit down in the bleachers, but most of the seats were already taken, so we just decided to sit on the side lines. "Dude, those girls totally sent you evil looks when you weren't looking," Mia said.

"No way," I said, "but I didn't even do anything."

"Well, I don't know, but if looks could kill….." Izzy trailed off.

"Well, they probably saw you and Jace smiling at each other. They're just jealous," Mia said as if it were obvious.

"Let's just watch the game," I said with an eye roll. Jace and his friend played an amazing game. I was no pro like Izzy, but I could tell that the opposing team was really good too. However, it always seemed like Jace was always one step ahead of them. He looked so graceful as he moved through the sand. He always managed to reach the ball no matter what. The other team was good, but not good enough. Jace and his friend won by six points.

"Wow, that was a good game," Izzy said, sounding surprised.

"Why so surprised?" I asked.

"No reason," Izzy said.

"Mmmhm," Mia said, eyeing Izzy.

"Okay," I let it slide because it looked like Jace was making his way over here.

"Hmmm looks like he has to wrestle his way over here," Izzy said. Mia and I had to agree with her. Most of the girls were smothering him and his partner. And those that weren't were waiting to make their move.

"I don't even know why we're here!" I exclaimed.

"What do you mean? He's totally into you!" Mia argued.

"Well look at him! He's surrounded by girls. By the time he gets over here, I'll be dead!" I said a tad too dramatically.

"Oh stop the dramatics! He's finally free," Izzy said quietly.

"Hey Clary," Jace said with a smile.

"Hi," I said somewhat dazed. We just stayed like that, smiling at each other, until Izzy elbowed me in the ribs and not very lightly.

I winced then said, "Umm, sorry. These are my friends Isabel and Mia."

"Nice to meet you," Jace said with that wonderful smile of his.

"Yeah, same here," Izzy said with a warm smile on the outside, but on the inside, it really said, "I'm watching you."

"We've heard so much about you," Mia said warmly. I shot her a look, but thankfully, he just laughed it off.

"Congrats on the game," I said.

"Oh, thanks. Volleyball is my partner Jared's life. He just managed to wheel me in somehow," he said.

"Oh yeah, I know what you mean," I said. Jace tilted his head and looked at me questionably.

"Izzy here loves volleyball and always makes me practice with her. She may look like a girly girl, but she gives a killer spike," I explained.

Jace laughed and asked, "Well, I was about to grab some lunch. Would you guys like to join me?"

"Hey dude are we gonna go eat or what?" his friend Jared said before anyone could respond.

"Yeah, we're hungry," one of the (fake) blonde girls wined as she put her hand possessively on Jace. She gave me a snide look and I put a warning hand on Izzy before she said anything.

"You know what; I think we'll take a rain check on lunch. We have to go anyways," I said. Jace shook off the blonde girls hand and started to say something, but I grabbed Izzy and Mia's arms and steered them away quickly.

"What the hell was that about?" Mia exclaimed.

"Yeah, that blonde bimbo was all over him," Izzy said disgustedly. I just stayed quiet and re-played the scene in my head, wondering what to make of it.

"Clary!" Izzy said, waving her hands in front of my face.

"Oh, sorry what?" I asked.

"I was saying that you could totally do better because it looks like he's a player," Izzy said as she talked on and on, but I wasn't actually listening because then I suddenly got a text message.

"_Hey why'd you take off so quickly?_" Jace said.

"_Things just seemed a bit crowded_," I texted back.

"_Listen, I'm sorry about Kaelie. Just to b straight w/ u, we're not together_," he said.

"_Oh well, were u tho. I mean together_?" I asked.

"_Yeah we were, but I want 2 talk 2 u in person. Can u meet me at the pier_?" He asked.

"What?" I exclaimed after a poke in the ribs.

"Get your head out of Jace world and listen!" Izzy said.

"Calm down Izzy. Maybe you don't know the whole story, leave Clary's love life alone!" Mia defended while wiggling her eyebrows.

"Yeah Izzy, chill! And it's not a love life!" I said, glaring at Mia.

"Yet…" Mia said ominously.

"Listen Jace wants to meet for lunch, do you mind if I go?" I asked.

"Nope, go right ahead. Have a ball," Mia said.

"Thanks," I said, looking at Izzy to see if she minded.

"Yeah, okay. Just be careful," Izzy warned.

"Yes mom," I replied as I turned towards the pier. It wasn't that hard to spot him once I got there. His back was to me as he looked out at the water. He turned around as if sensing my presence and smiled at me with those beautiful eyes of his.

"Hey, you came," he said. He moved as if to hug me, but restrained himself, not knowing how I'd react. On a sudden impulse I wound my arms around him and gave him a brief hug. His arms wrapped around me like a warm sweater.

I moved away and said, "Of course I did. I said I would didn't I?"

His eyes changed when I moved away, but he smiled and said, "Well are you hungry? Do you want to get something to eat?"

"Sure," I said. We ended up going Billy's Burgers, a little place with a fifty's theme. As soon as we sat down a waitress in roller blades came out to take our order. I didn't miss the calculating look she gave Jace. She looked at me and probably didn't think much of me because she gave Jace her undivided attention. However, he didn't pay any attention to her. As he gave his order he looked into my eyes the entire time. I gave my order the same way. When I was looking into his eyes, I felt my walls coming down. I didn't realize the waitress was gone until she came back with our drinks. I had the satisfaction of seeing her disgruntled look when she rolled away. I turned back to Jace and it looked like he wanted to laugh.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said and smirked.

"What," I said more persistent.

"Well for someone who is so independent, you sure do pay a lot of attention to other people's reactions," he said.

"What does that have to do with anything, I'm just observant," I argued.

"Mmmhm, let's agree to disagree," he suggested.

"Well don't tell me you weren't you weren't lapping up all the attention she was giving you?" I asked incredulous even though I already knew the answer.

"I was a little to busy paying attention to someone else," he said, looking into my eyes, daring me to contradict him. I wanted to look away, but I didn't want to be the first one to look away. Thankfully our food arrived and we both leaned away from each other as we looked at the waitress putting our food down.

"Anything else I can do for you," she asked Jace as a last ditch effort to win him over.

"No that's it thank you," Jace said politely. She walked away without a replying and we started to eat in silence.

I was halfway through my cheese burger when Jace asked, "So why did you really come out to L.A?"

I made a big show of chewing before I answered. "What do you mean? I just came to have a fun summer with my friends," I said.

"I don't know, you seem somewhat guarded and you don't seem to be having much fun," he said matter of factly.

I'm looking at this amazing stranger and can't help but wonder how he can seem to see through me. I'm thinking of the pros and cons of telling him the truth. Pros: he accepts me the way I am, cracked heart and all. Con: he stops talking to me because of all my baggage. "Do you really want to know the truth?" I asked him.

"Of course," he says.

I sigh and put my cheese burger down. "It's not a happy story," I warned.

"It doesn't matter, go ahead," he urged.

"Everything was perfect up until about five months ago," I started. I told him everything, and somehow I managed it without a dingle tear slipping down my face, but I knew they were ready to just come pouring down. When I finished, I looked everywhere except at Jace. I couldn't bear to see his opinion change of me now that he knows what happened.

"Clary," Jace said, "Clary look at me."

I looked up and couldn't help the tear that escaped. I quickly wiped it away and went still when he held my hand. At that second though, I just couldn't handle it. I pulled my hand away and quickly hurried out of Billy's Burger's to compose myself. I turned at the corner so I would be out of sight of the windows. I wasn't paying attention where I was walking and accidentally ran into a very solid guys torso who ended up putting his hands on my waist to keep us balanced.

A/N: Well what did you think? Did you like the cliff hanger? Hope you liked it. Review please!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for reading. Here is the next chapter! Hope you like it. **

I looked up and immediately wanted to run the opposite direction. It was that sleazy guy from the ice cream store. I shuddered at the feel of his hands on my waist. I tried to step away but he held me fast and said, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Let me go now," I said.

"You heard her, let her go," Jace said, coming out of no where.

"Just making sure she was okay," he said, his hands lingering longer than they should have. He looked down at me, smiled, and then walked away, just like nothing happened. I looked at Jace and saw that he was still glaring after Jordan even though he was no longer in sight. I wiped my face and further composed myself before he could turn around.

"Are you okay," he finally asked.

"Yeah I'm fine," I said.

Jace sighed, "No you're not." He pulled me close and just held me, maybe to let me know that it was okay to cry or maybe because he just wanted to hug me. Either one was fine with me, but since I was done with crying, I just relaxed into the hug and soaked in every moment. He looked down at me and wiped away a stray tear that I must have missed.

"Do you want to go back and finish eating?" He asked.

"Yeah, let's go," I said. He held my hand on the short walk back like it was the most casual thing in the world. As we finished eating, we played a round of twenty questions.

"Okay, question one," I started, "do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"One younger brother," he said, "his names Max."

I nodded as he asked his next question. "So what's your favorite color?" He asked.

"Purple," I said, "and yours?"

"Green," he said. And so it continued. We went well past twenty questions, but that didn't matter. We finished our food and left Billy's Burgers, walking side by side. We walked by all the stores and my hand was itching to hold his. His hand was so close, but it felt so far. I had a question that has been bugging me the whole time.

"So, did you know that jerk from before?" I asked.

"And what jerk would that be," he asked, knowing who I was talking about because I saw his shoulders tense.

"You know who I'm talking about," I said.

He sighed, "Yeah, I know him. We went to school together. We didn't always see eye to eye."

"_You_ went to school with him?" I asked.

"Yeah, we used to have a few classes together, but he dropped out of school. Everyone knew it was going to happen eventually, he doesn't necessarily come from a great family," he said, but something seemed off.

"There's something you're not telling me," I said.

He looked at me with surprise written all over his face. I guess that's one thing we have in common, we both know how to hide emotions so well. That's how I knew something was off. It takes one to know one, I thought to myself.

He gave me a sly smile and said, "You don't miss a thing do you? Well, we used to be best friends. We were best friends since the sixth grade and everything was fine until our sophomore year. We started meeting different friends and he started falling in with the wrong crowd. We just went our separate ways but he blames me because I started hanging out with the "popular crowd." People change."

"I'm sorry," I said, "I can't imagine not having my best friends. They were the only ones keeping me sane."

He reached out and finally took my hand in his. "That must have been tough," he said, "How did you make it through that?"

"I didn't really," I said, "It was like I was a robot. I just felt like I was going through the motions. I didn't feel like me anymore. My friends thought that bringing me here might bring me out of my slump."

"And did it work?" He asked.

"So far," I said, "it's hard to say." I smiled at him and he laughed in response. It was nice and cool outside despite the rays of the beating sun.

"But honestly," I said, "Yeah, coming here has certainly lightened my mood. It's not like I can really forget though. The memories will always be there and I'll always remember Jonah."

"Did you love him?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yes," I said without hesitation. I stopped him and told him the truth. "I just want you to know that I promised myself that I would never love anyone again. To love is to destroy," I said, "but….you're making me change my mind." I released his hand and went to go sit down on a nearby bench. He joined me, but I refused to look at him.

"That's a good thing though, right?" He asked.

"I don't know," I said, "I don't know if I can ever be with anyone again. I'm damaged, how am I supposed to…"

"Sh-h-h, it's ok," he cradled my face and spoke with such tenderness that it took me by surprise, "what I care about right now is here and now. I'm just glad that I could be here for you now. Don't worry about the past. I know it will be hard to get over Jonah, but do you really think its better to hold on to someone that will never be able to come back?"

I stared at him in surprise and for the first time, no tears came to my eyes when talking about Jonah. I curled up in his arms and didn't feel guilty about betraying Jonah. For the first time, I felt free. "Thank you," I whispered into his neck.

He pulled back and said, "For what?"

"For showing me how to move on," I said sincerely. At that moment, with him gazing into my eyes, it was like there was nothing wrong in the world. Everything seemed perfect and I was done hiding from the world. I leaned in and kissed him with everything I had. Kissing away all the pain from the past few months and embracing the new me that doesn't shy away from everything.

Jace kissed me back and ran his hand through my hair. It felt so good to be held again. Tears came to my eyes, but tears of joy.

Jace pulled back and wiped away my tears with shaky hands. He probably thought I was one crazy chick who always cried. "Don't worry," I said, "I don't usually cry this much."

He smiled and gave me a quick kiss. "Is everything going to be okay now?" He asked.

"I think so," I said smiling. We got up and he walked me to Lisa's house. We walked back in compatible silence. Once we got to the front door I realized that I didn't have a key on me, which meant that I would have to knock on the door, which would mean that Izzy and Mia would have to meet Jace. That is definitely not an option.

I turned around quickly, "Well thanks for walking me."

Jace smiled at me, "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

"Nope," I said cheerfully.

He laughed and said, "Okay…" He leaned down to kiss me and in the middle of the kiss was when the door chose to open up, revealing Izzy and Mia. We quickly broke away and my face turned a deep shade of red.

"Seems like you two had a good time," Izzy said.

"Yes we did," Jace said, holding my hand. He squeezed my hand and I knew he understood.

"I had a great time," I said, "thanks."

"It was nice seeing you guys again. I'll call you later," Jace said as he leaned down and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. I smiled in response and watched him walk away until he was out of sight. I went inside and felt Izzy and Mia hot on my heels.

"What happened to going slow?" Izzy asked.

"We are going slow. He knows about everything. We're still getting to know each other," I said.

"Yup, I'm pretty sure your tonsils are pretty well acquainted now," Mia teased. "It was just an innocent kiss. You guys swear we were groping each other on the doorstep," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Well what did you guys do?" Izzy asked, letting the subject drop.

"We just had lunch and talked," I said.

"And kiss….." Mia whispered.

I laughed, "Okay, a little."

"And he was okay with everything?" Izzy asked.

"Yes," I said honestly, "he was so sweet. I told him about Jonah and he just accepted me the way I was. I was pleasantly surprised; he didn't seem like that kind of guy."

"It sounds like everything's working out," Mia said.

"It is, and I'm happy, a lot more than I was a few months ago," I said.

"Are you guys gonna meet up again?" Izzy asked.

"Well we hadn't discussed it because we were so rudely interrupted!" I exclaimed. Mia had the good grace to look away embarrassed, but Izzy just kept looking at me with no regrets.

"So, what did you guys eat?" I asked. They looked at me blankly like I was speaking a foreign language.

"Umm, well why don't you guys go sit down and I'll make you some dinner," I said.

"We can do it, we're not that incompetent," Izzy said.

"Honestly Izzy, if you want to make your own dinner, go for it. I really want to see how that's going to turn out," I said.

"Fine I will," Izzy said defiantly, "Mia come help me."

"Uh, no thanks. I kinda want to see how this little experiment turns out," Mia said with a smirk.

"Fine, I can do this all by myself," Izzy said. Mia and I walked to the living room and sat down to wait out the disaster waiting to happen.

"Do you really think she'll be able to do it?" I asked.

"Have a little faith, of course she can!" Mia exclaimed. We looked at each other and burst out laughing. Asking Izzy to cook is a definite sign of the apocalypse.

"I can hear you!" Izzy yelled from the kitchen, which made us burst into another fit of giggles.

We calmed down long enough for Mia to say, "I'll be right back." She came back barring the shiniest purple laptop ever.

"What happened to your blue cover?" I asked.

"Oh I got a new one. The old one was too flashy," she said.

"Yeah," I said, "this definitely isn't flashy, I just can't stand to look at it for longer than two seconds." She elbowed me playfully and logged into Facebook.

"We should see if he has an account," Mia said, "what's his full name?"

"Ummm….we haven't really gotten that far," I said sheepishly. Mia looked at me like REALLY?

"Okay, okay, probably not the best decision on my part, but…." I trailed off.

"How are we supposed to snoop into his personal life if we don't even know his real name? What if Jace isn't even his real name! What if its like Alfonzo or something weird like that?" Mia exclaimed.

"Wow, slow done, where do you come up with this stuff?" I said cracking up.

"Hey you have to think of all the possibilities," Mia defended.

"Don't worry I'll…." The ringing of my phone stopped me mid sentence.

"Hello," I answered.

"Hey, it's Jace," a sexy voice said. Damn, even over the phone he sounded hot.

"Oh, hi, what's up?" I asked, while looking at Mia and mouthing, it's him!

"Well I just wanted to see how you were doing, things were kinda awkward when I left you," he said.

"Yeah, everything's fine, just my friends being over protective again," I explained.

"Oh okay, well I was wondering if you and your friends would like to come to a bonfire tomorrow?" He asked somewhat hesitantly, almost as if he was nervous I would say no.

"Of course we'll go," I said enthusiastically.

"Really, okay, well its just a little ways down from your house. You won't be able to miss it," he said happy that I said yes.

"Okay, cool. Do you want us to bring anything?" I asked, wanting to make sure that I made a good impression with his friends.

"Oh no, don't worry about it," he said, "We've got everything covered. All you need to bring is your appetite and your beautiful smile."

"Ahh, already starting the flattery now? If I didn't know any better, I think you have something under your sleeve Jace," I said.

"What, little old me? Of course not," he said with a smile in his voice.

"Okay whatever you say," I teased.

"Great, so I'll see you to tomorrow?" He asked.

"Yes you will," I said, and then I remembered, "Uh Jace, what's your last name?"

"Herondale, why?" He asked, curious.

"Oh, no reason just thought I should probably know," I said.

"Are you gonna go doodle my name all over your notebook now?" He teased.

"Not anymore, thanks for ruining the moment," I exclaimed. I was rewarded with a chuckle that sent vibrations through my entire body.

"Well now that you know my last name, do I get to know yours?" He asked.

"No I don't think so, because what if _you _go into a doodle frenzy?" I asked.

"There's only one way to find out isn't there?" He questioned back.

"Fray," I said.

"Well Clary Fray, I'll see you tomorrow," he said, "sweet dreams."

"Good night Jace Herondale," I said softly. I hung up and flopped onto the couch.

"Herondale!" Mia exclaimed, "I found him."

"That was fast," I said.

"Ummm, you know what; we don't need to see this. Lets see if Izzy needs help," Mia said as she started to close the top.

"No," I said, stopping her, "what is it?"

Mia sighed and pointed at one of his groups of friends that made me wonder if it was a mistake opening my heart up to him. As I pondered what to think next, I smelt a horrible stench coming from the kitchen.

**A/N: Well that's it for now! Hope you enjoyed it.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey guys sorry it took so long, finals and end of the year projects have really had my FULL attention. Now that it's summer, hopefully it won't take as long. **

"Ummm Izzy, what are you burning?" Mia asked hesitantly.

"What are you talking about? Isn't it supposed to smell like that?" She yelled from the kitchen.

"Maybe I should go help her," Mia said.

"No, no, no, you started this, now you have to finish this. I didn't want to snoop in his business in the first place!" I exclaimed.

"I'm sorry. You're probably doubting him now huh?" Mia asked.

"Uh, yeah, maybe just a little," I said sarcastically. On his friends list was the title: My Exes. And there were about twenty girls listed. And looking at their profiles, it looked like they got around, and that wasn't even the worst part. It was the pictures, some were decent, but there were others that I'm sure my mother would not approve of.

"How long do you think he went out with each of them?" I asked.

"Not very long," Mia said, "look at this post. _Best one night stand ever! _And look at this one. It says…"

"Thanks Mia, I get it," I said. As I scrolled down more, it was more of the same posts, some going into a little more detail than I needed to know. And who was at the top? That girl, Kaelie, from the volleyball game. It seemed like she was the head hoe of the list. It figures, when I'm finally ready to let go and be myself again, it just seems to end badly.

"Are you okay?" Mia asked.

"Yeah," I said, smiling and trying to mask the hurt. I must have been losing my touch because Mia didn't look like she believed me.

"Why don't you go help Izzy? I think she's going to burn the house down any minute now," I said, trying to tease and lighten the mood.

"Okay, hopefully she'll at least have something edible to eat," she said, understanding my need for alone time. I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. So what if just the thought of Jace still made my heart race. Even though I'm staring at the evidence that Jace is a player, I can't help but feel the connection between us. I wish I could say that I don't feel anything for him, but I can't. It's like I don't want to accept it because he finally set me free and it's so easy to talk to him. How can somebody like that be a womanizer? I just don't get it; maybe Jace is hiding more than I thought he was.

"So, how's it going?" I asked as I walked into the kitchen, "And what is that horrible smell?"

"I think that's the rice," Izzy said, glaring at the rice.

"Yeah, it helps if you add water," I said, trying hard not to laugh.

"Well the chicken isn't that bad," Mia said.

I looked at the chicken and it was blackened to a crisp. "Well," I said, "I hope you like it crispy." I looked at Mia and we started bursting out laughing, and after a few moments, Izzy joined in too. I was laughing so hard that I almost forgot about Jace, almost. Soon my laughter turned into a sort of hiccup crying combination. Then I started fully crying and was soon being held by Izzy and Mia. They were holding me between them and rocking me back and forth.

I don't know what I'd do without them. I let them comfort me for a few more seconds, then I pulled away and said, "Enough sobbing, lets eat some burnt chicken."

"Oh, no, I won't torture you any more. We're ordering pizza!" Izzy exclaimed.

Mia laughed, "Yeah, I think that would be best." We went to go sit down while Izzy called Pizza Hut. When Izzy came back, she had a serious look on her face.

"So what are you gonna do?" Izzy asked.

"I don't know," I said miserably.

"What do you mean you don't know? Dump him; you have proof that he's just going to hurt you again, so why wait?" Izzy asked.

"But he was completely different! He didn't try to flirt with me or try to get in my pants. We actually talked, like I could talk to him all night and not get tired of talking to him. I can talk to him more so then when I talked to Jonah," I explained.

"He must be pretty special then," Mia said, "because you hardly hesitated to talk to Jonah about anything and when you did, it wasn't that important. That means that there's only one thing left to do."

"And what's that?" I asked.

"Well you have to talk to him, now," Mia said.

"Now?" I exclaimed, "But it's almost 4:30, its getting kinda late. Maybe, I should just wait until tomorrow."

"No, if he's really that special, then you should go see him now," Izzy agreed.

"Since when have you been on board with anything having to do with me and boys?" I asked.

Izzy sighed, "Ever since I saw how happy he makes you."

"Well, then I guess it wouldn't hurt," I said reluctantly. Mia beamed at me and Izzy gave me a smile that reassured me about what I was about to do. I walked out into the back patio and dialed Jace's number.

"Hello," Jace answered.

"Ummm, hi….it's me, Clary," I stammered.

"Yeah, I got that, I do have caller ID," he chuckled.

"Oh, right," I said, feeling like an idiot.

"What's up?" He asked.

"Well I was wondering, are you busy right now?" I asked.

"Ummm, well I get off of work in like 10 minutes, where do you want to meet?" He asked. I was surprised at how quickly he jumped at the chance of seeing me again, we just saw each other like two hours ago!

"How about on the beach behind my friends' house?" I suggested.

"Sounds good," Jace said, "can't wait. Bye."

"Yeah, bye," I said, immediately feeling horrible at the reason for wanting to meet him. I walked back inside and sat next to Mia on the couch.

"Is the deed done?" Mia asked ominously.

"Yes," I said.

"What are you going to tell him?" Izzy asked.

"I have no idea," I said desperately.

"Don't worry," Mia said, "you'll know when the time comes." She had on the most amazing serious face ever and I couldn't help it, I started laughing. It felt good to laugh just because and soon Izzy and Mia were joining me.

"Thanks for ruining the moment," Mia exclaimed.

"No, seriously, thanks," Izzy said. And just like that, we starting laughing and Izzy gave a very unladylike snort. Then the doorbell rang, so I got up to answer it.

I opened the door and I couldn't believe my eyes. Two encounters in one day, and I wasn't happy about it. "So we meet again," Jordan said.

I gave him the toughest look I could muster and gave him a twenty, "Keep he change." I took the pizzas out of his hands and closed the door in his surprised face. I looked out the window and he was still standing there with a stunned look o his face. I wasn't about to have a conversation with him and have Izzy come in here and make a scene. I walked into the living room and announced, "Dinner is served!"

"Ok, since I ruined dinner, I'll make some iced tea," Izzy said.

"No!" Mia and I both yelled.

"Come on, it's just tea, how can I mess that up?" Izzy asked.

"Oh I can think of a few ways," Mia said, "Don't you worry your pretty little head, I'll make it."

Izzy glared at Mia, but did not resist. We turned on the TV and ate in comfortable silence. As I got up to put my plate in the sink, I heard a knock at the back door. I raced to the back door before Izzy or Mia could get it. "I got it," I said, trying to sound nonchalant. I opened the door and there was Jace's grease stained face looking down at me.

"Ummm, you have a little something right here," I said pointing at my forehead.

He looked confused, then he tried to wipe it off but ended up smearing it even more.

I laughed, "Here let me. Stay here." I went inside and dabbed a napkin in some water. When I came back outside, he was sitting on the swinging chair. I sat next to him and carefully started taking off the grease. I focused my all of my attention on what I was doing because if I let my eyes wander, I would see his intense green eyes staring at me and I'm pretty sure I'd lose my focus after looking at him for one second. As I was putting my hand away, he took my hand in his and brought it to his lips. No one has ever done that to me and the emotion behind his eyes made it that much more passionate.

I looked away from him and gently took my hand away. "What is it?" He asked, immediately picking up on my mood.

"Well," I said, "I wanted to talk to you about something, and it's not exactly pleasant."

Jace looked at me, waiting for me to continue. "So, I saw your Facebook page and it didn't exactly make me feel better about opening up to you," I admitted.

Jace quickly understood and tried to explain himself, "Look, yeah I was kind of a player, but..."

"Kind of?" I said, "There were at least twenty girls on that page and they had plenty of things to say about you. And it wasn't even that long ago, the most recent one was from six days ago!"

"I know that it looks bad, but you have to believe me when I say that meeting you has changed me. Sure I dated a lot of girls, but that was before I met you, it's in the past. But right now, in the present, all I care about is you. When I'm with you, it just feels right. I feel…"

"Please, just stop," I said, "I opened up to you and let myself fall again, but how can I trust you? My heart can only take so much Jace, and you're making it really hard to stay away from you."

"You mean….you still want to talk to me, you don't want to rip my throat out?" He asked.

"Well I wouldn't rip your throat out, but I'd give you a few good whacks with a baseball bat if I had one," I said, tired, "I want to be with you Jace, but how can I when you never told me about all those girls?"

"You have every right to doubt me, but you have to believe me when I say this is different, you're different. You're not like those other girls, you actually care about people for what's inside, not by how they dress. You're also the most beautiful person I have ever seen, and I don't want to let you go," he said, staring into my eyes.

After a short pause, he inched closer and when I didn't object his lips met mine and my breath was taken away. I closed my eyes and leaned into him. I put my arms around his neck, bringing him closer to me. In response, he ran his hands through my hair and broke away to give me soft, sweet, butterfly kisses.

I untangled myself from him to look at his face clearly and saw what I needed to see. His eyes were full of hope and I know mine were too, but deep down there will always be a part of me that is still so scared of being hurt. Jace must have seen something change in my face, even though I tried to mask it, and stood up holding his hand out to me, "Come on, let's walk on the beach."

I looked at his out stretched hand and put my hand into his, it was like two puzzle pieces coming together, a perfect fit. We walked a short way down the beach before Jace said anything. "So are we going to be okay?" He asked.

I looked at him and sighed, "Well I can't forget about all the girls you've been with, but I can give us a shot."

"Well you don't seem too happy about it," Jace teased, but then he turned serious after thinking about it, "are you happy?"

"Of course I'm happy, it's just…..hard to get used to the idea of liking someone again," I said, "I'm so used to being alone that I don't know how to act around you."

"All you have to do is be yourself," he said, "you don't need to be anyone else, you're an amazing person Clary, but there's still so much I don't know about you. Don't lock me out just as I'm getting to know you."

"I won't," I said, "Just promise me, you won't dump me like all those other girls."

"I promise," he said softly. Those two little words should not have made a big impact on me, but I let myself hope, and hope only leads to heart ache.

"Look the sun is setting," I said as we were on our way back.

"Come on," he said quickly. He led me over to a huge bolder and hoisted me up like I weighed nothing. He then jumped up next to me and I soon found out why he wanted to sit up here. It gave us a perfect view of the sunset. It was an amazing site and I wish I had my sketch book with me. The colors ranged from oranges to purples and everything in between. I leaned against Jace and watched the colors slowly fade away.

"That was beautiful," I said.

"Yes you are," Jace said, looking down at me.

I laughed, "Real slick, sir." I looked down and judged to see if I could jump down without breaking a bone. Jace saw my dilemma and jumped off gracefully.

"Jump," he said, "I'll catch you."

I looked at him dubiously and he smirked, "Come on, I won't drop you." I sighed and jumped into his arms, but something went wrong. Jace had his arms around my waist, but then we were tumbling to the hard sand.

"What happened to catching me," I asked as I tried to get the sand out of my mouth. Then I realized the reason we fell, a huge dog was standing there, staring at us with its tongue lolling out of its mouth.

"A friend of yours?" I asked.

"Not that I know of," Jace said as he helped me up.

"Well, it's either a large dog or a very small bear," I said, looking at it wearily.

"Are you okay?" Jace asked

"Yeah, I'm fine, but there's sand in places sand should not be," I grumbled. Jace laughed and started taking the sand out of my hair. Even the feel of his hands through my hair made me feel all tingly inside. After Jace helped me dislodge the rest of the sand I shook off all the sand from his back.

"I wonder where that dog came from," I mused.

Jace knelt down until he was eye level with the dog and checked his collar, "Well, he doesn't have any tags." I wasn't really a dog person, but the big fur ball came up to me and started lightly nudging my legs.

"I think he likes you," Jace mused.

"Well I'm not a dog person," I responded, "come on, let's head back." After one last pat on the head, Jace left the dog and came to take my hand. We were walking away, but one look back and I could see that the dog was still following us. Oh what the heck, I thought to myself.

"Alright," I said, waving the dog towards me, "come on." He ran up to me and started slobbering all over my legs.

"Ahh," Jace said, "puppy love."

"Shut up," I said, playfully pushing him away.

He kissed me on the cheek and said, "I knew you couldn't resist someone in need." I smiled and kept walking. Well what do you know; I got a boyfriend and a dog all in one day. Maybe this summer will change me, for the better I hope. Now I just have to break it to Lisa, Izzy, and Mia about our new room mate.

**A/N: Well thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it! You know, reviews really do help me type faster Until next time, happy reading…..**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Ok, so here is the new chapter, tell me what ya think!**

After telling me that the bonfire was at five and giving me a kiss, Jace left, leaving me to deal with the dog. I looked down at him, and I know it's a he because of a little pit stop on the way home, and he gave me the biggest puppy dog eyes ever. I don't think there was a person on the planet that could have resisted those eyes. I took a deep breath and went inside.

"Clary is that you?" I heard Mia call out.

"No, it's a complete stranger," I said sarcastically, who else was it going to be? I walked into the living room to find Mia and Izzy in some very awkward positions.

"Thanks for that," Mia said, "How was- why is there a dog in the living room?"

"Uh, more importantly, how did you guys get your legs all the way up there?" I exclaimed. They were doing some weird yoga shit. It looked like they were trying to put both legs over their heads, but it didn't exactly turn out right.

Izzy untangled herself first and just sat there looking at me. "What is that?" She finally asked.

"Ummm, I'm pretty sure it's a dog," I replied.

"But why is it here?" She asked.

"Well," I said, "I saw him wandering the beach and decided to bring him with me; he doesn't have tags so it doesn't belong to anyone."

"Yay, a new room mate," Mia said, finally untangling herself as well. She came over to pet him and he wagged his tail happily from al the attention he was getting.

"No yay," Izzy said, "Take him back, we don't have any dog stuff here."  
>"Well I could go buy the essentials, it's no big deal," I said<p>

"It is a big deal!" Izzy exclaimed, "You know I don't like dogs and yet you still brought him here!"

"Well, I don't like dogs either, but I couldn't resist him!" I said, just the thought of leaving him out there made me sad.

"Well you'll have to ask Aunt Lisa, since it is her house," Izzy said.

"Of course, I…" I trailed off when I heard the front door open.

"I'm home," Lisa announced.

"Just in time," Izzy smirked.

"What's for dinner?" She asked.

"Dog," Izzy said menacingly. The dog seemed to understand Izzy and cowered behind me.

"What?" Lisa asked, "Oh what a cute dog!"

"What?" Izzy echoed.

"Lisa I know you just got home and you probably want to relax, but what do you think of having a dog around?" I asked.

"I don't mind, I love dogs, but where did he come from?" Lisa asked.

"Well I found him wandering the beach alone and he doesn't have tags, so no owner," I said hastily.

"Well ok, I don't mind, but you should put up posters just in case someone is looking for him," Lisa said.

"Yay," Mia and I whooped in joy as Izzy glowered in silence. The dog raced towards Lisa, wanting her attention.

"What do we call him?" Lisa asked.

"Sir Licks-a-Lot," Mia said.

"No," Lisa and I said at the same time.

"How about Sunshine," Lisa said. I thought about it and decided it wasn't that bad, maybe a little hippie like, but overall not bad.

"I like it," I said.

"Because I'm pretty sure he looks nice and sunny under all this dirt," Lisa said.

"Yeah, we should give him a bath," Mia agreed.

"Well I'll be in my room," Izzy said and stomped off. We gave each other wary looks and went up stairs to give him a bath. There was a lot of water splashing, but we did it.

"Don't worry," Mia said, "I'll clean up the mess in here."

I laughed, "Thanks, good luck." Mia waved me off and Sunshine followed me to my room. I decided to turn in early and put on my pj's. Sunshine curled up next to me and I fell asleep wondering what tomorrow will bring.

-The next morning, 10 am-

I woke up refreshed and ready to take on the day. Sunshine was still asleep, but woke up when he felt me getting up. I heard his tummy rumble and realized he needed food. I quickly got dressed and scribbled out a note saying I was going to the Pet Co. a few streets over. I didn't have a car so I had to use my trusty old skate board. I tied some string to Sunshine's color so I wouldn't lose him. He barked when I tied it to him, but he calmed down when he saw that we were going outside.

I put my helmet on and we were off. We set off at a brisk pace so we got there in 10 minutes. The cool air inside felt amazing compared to the sweltering heat outside. I got a cart and got down to business. First I went to get a proper leash since it was the closest. However, I was surprised with what I found, "Hey, what are you doing here?"

Jace turned around with a startled expression, then gave me a lopsided smile. "Well good morning to you too," he said.

"Sorry, good morning," I said. Unsure of what to do, I walked up to him and gave him a peck on the cheek. It felt weird "being" with someone again, it took me a while to remember what it felt like.

"No worries," he said, "just thought you might need a few things. I was going to drop them off for you before I went to work."

I was so touched that I gave him a quick peck on the lips, "Thank you."

"No problem," he said, returning the kiss with a bit more passion.

I laughed and pushed him away, "A little early for that don't you think?"

"Never too early," he said, kissing me again. This time I kissed him a little longer, but I knew I had to stop or else we'd be here all day.

"Did you plan on doing anything today," I teased.

He mock sighed, "Oh fine." He smiled down at me and I was still so surprised that he was mine.

"You seriously don't have to buy anything for Sunshine. I was going to buy it right now," I said.

"I know, but I want to. We found him together so I feel like he's part mine. Sunshine?" He asked.

I laughed, "Getting possessive already are we? And yes Sunshine, he's got a golden coat and he can brighten up anyone's day."

"Well how can I argue with that," he said. He already had most of the much needed supplies in his cart so I helped him pick a leash and we were off to the register. I tried giving him some money, but he would not take it, insisting on using his own. I guess he believed it was the gentlemanly thing to do; my brother does the same thing.

We walked outside when he asked, "Do you need a ride?" I quickly debated my two options: skate in the agonizing heat or ride with Jace and soak up as much time with him as I can. It was a no brainer, "Sure."

We walked over to a massive grey truck when I said, "This thing is yours?"

"Well, my dad's actually," he said. He unlocked the doors and I gauged the distance I'd have to jump to make it safely into the car. The odds were not in my favor.

"Hmmm," Jace said as he saw my dilemma. He came to my side of the car, opened the door, and picked me up bridal style. He took me by surprise so I wrapped my arms around his neck. As he walked me over to the truck, I couldn't help but feel his muscles. They rippled under my fingers as he lowered me onto the seat. Ever the gentlemen, he buckled my seatbelt for me, his hands lingering around my waist. My heart was beating a mile a minute and with him being so close, I'm surprised he couldn't hear it.

He gave me a wink and a smile before retreating to his side of the truck. Sunshine jumped in like it was nothing. Damn super dog! Jace started the car and reversed out of the parking space. We drove in compatible silence. There wasn't really anything to be said. It was enough to just be with him. All too soon, we were at Lisa's house. Jace parked and ran around to my side to open my door. I unbuckled myself and hopped out. So that I wouldn't fall on my face, Jace caught me before my feet even touched the ground.

He held me against his chest with my eyes level with his. I could have stared at him forever, but Sunshine tried to come in between us to get our attention. Jace smiled and even though he looked like he didn't want to, he set me down gently on my feet. Jace retrieved the bags from the back and walked me to the door. "Thanks for getting all this stuff Sunshine," I said.

"Not a problem," Jace said. He kissed me with just enough heat to make me want more, but I knew this wasn't the time or place for it.

I pulled away so I could see his face, "I think it's time for you to go to work."

He kissed my jaw line and mumbled, "I can be a few minutes late." I laughed and pulled away again.

Yet again, I marveled at how amazing one person could be. I kissed him, but didn't let myself get carried away. "Good bye," I said.

"See you later," he said, hugging me briefly before jogging over to his car. I opened the door and ushered Sunshine in before me. We weren't gone long so I wasn't surprised to find that Izzy and Mia were still asleep. I went to the kitchen and filled Sunshine's water and food bowl. I made him a nice little area next to the back door, but I had a feeling he would be sleeping in my bed regardless.

Being by myself gave me some moments to reflect on Jace. He was a great guy, definitely not what I expected when I met him. The image he presented of himself made it seem like he was this tough jock that didn't care about anyone's feelings, obviously that wasn't the case. I guess it's really true when they say you can't judge a book by its cover. I smiled to myself, happy about getting to spend more time with him later, but I was nervous that his friends won't like me. Either way, I don't care about their opinions of me; all I care about is making sure this relationship goes smoothly.

Well I wasn't going to dwell on that at this moment though. I went upstairs and got my sketch pad along with my colored pencils. I tried to recreate the sunset from yesterday, but it wasn't the same. It lacked a certain touch, but I wasn't sure what. I gave up and went out on the balcony. I decided it was time for breakfast.

It's like Izzy and Mia had perfect timing when it came to breakfast. As I finished plating the food, they came downstairs actually dressed this time. "Wow," I said, "I didn't have to drag you guys out of bed today."  
>"Well, we have a long day of shopping ahead of us, so we figured we'd get an early start," Izzy said.<p>

"Shopping?" I asked.

"Yeah, we're hitting up rodeo drive right after breakfast," Mia said happily.

"And how will we get there?" I asked patiently because I knew they would not want to take the bus.

"Aunt Lisa's not working today, so she's letting us borrow her car," Izzy said, just as happy, "Besides we need something to wear to the bonfire tonight."

"But we brought plenty of clothes, so why do we need to buy more?" I asked.

Mia sighed, but it was Izzy that answered, "I know you brought plenty of clothes, but this is like a first date. You have to have the perfect outfit for tonight."

"Fine," I said shoving food in their direction. As we were eating Mia and Izzy tried to make conversation, but I refused to talk since they were already taking me shopping against my will. I was doing the dishes when Lisa came down.

"Morning," she said.

"Good morning," we all replied.

"I left you a plate of food in the microwave," I said.

"Thanks," Lisa said.

"Alright Aunt Lisa, we're off," Izzy said.

"Okay, have fun," Lisa saw the face I was making and added, "Good luck."

"Thanks," I said. We got into Lisa's Audi and waited for the ac to kick in. It only took us about twenty minutes to finally get to rodeo drive. Parking was another matter though; we had to park about a block away.

"Okay, time to spend some cash," Izzy announced. I honestly don't remember what stores we went to. All I remember is going to about a dozen stores and Izzy making me try on practically every item in the store. When we finished, she picked out the simplest dress ever.

"It's just a black dress," I stated.

"Bur it looks so good on you!" Izzy exclaimed.

"Izzy's right," Mia agreed, "It really shows off your awesome curves."

"Yeah, and it doesn't overly show skin, but shows enough so that it will drive Jace crazy," Izzy said.

"If you say so," I said.

"Okay, now for a bathing suit," Izzy murmured to herself.

"Oh no," I said, "You already made me bring three pairs of bathing suits, I'm not buying another!"

"Fine, fine, let's go," Izzy, grumbled. I also ended up getting some cute gold sandals. All this trouble just for a pair of sandals and a dress. Izzy and Mia also got some things, but it didn't take them nearly as long.

We were so concerned with shopping that we hadn't had lunch yet, "Well since we're done here, let's go get something to eat."  
>"Yeah, I'm starved," Mia, agreed. I shook my dead, astounded. We found a little café nearby and ordered sandwiches.<p>

"So are you nervous about tonight?" Mia asked.

"Of course!" I exclaimed, "What if his friends don't like me?"

"They don't have to like you," Izzy said, "As long as Jace likes you, that's all that matters right?"

I smiled because those were my exact thoughts from earlier. "Right," I agreed. We finished our sandwiches and started the long walk to the car.

"I can't believe we took so long shopping! My feet are killing me and it's already 4:15!" I exclaimed as we reached the car.

"Nobody said looking beautiful was easy," Izzy sang. I grumbled to myself but got in the car nonetheless. We rode in silence, each lost in her own world. All I wanted to do was get home change and race over to Jace's waiting arms. I was practically bouncing up and down in my seat and when we got home I raced inside to get ready. It was time to get ready for my man….

**A/N: You guys probably thought this chapter was going to be about the bonfire huh? Sorry got to keep a little suspense, but don't worry that chapter is coming soon. **


	9. Chapter 9

I've been sitting here for about ten minutes. I should have told Izzy and Mia that it was time to go, but my body couldn't seem to move. Its 5:30, but I can't seem to go to the beach and meet Jace. I'm scared to admit it, but I'm seriously scared of going on this date with Jace. Is it even a date? He never officially said it was, so I don't know how to act. Am I just going as a friend or is he going to introduce me to his friends as his girlfriend?

"Clary," Mia called out through my door, "Come on, Jace is going to wonder if you ditched him!"

"Okay, I'll be right down," I called back. I took a deep breath and stood up to go look at myself in the mirror. Izzy was right, I didn't look half bad. I only put on some mascara (water proof) because we are going to the beach, so what's the point? I tried one last attempt at taming my fiery curls, but they were a lost cause so I just gave up. With one last deep breath, I strode to the door and walked down stairs.

"Well look who decided to show up," Izzy said.

"Hardy har har," I said, rolling my eyes.

"It's almost six, how long do you want to keep your prince charming waiting?" Izzy teased.

"Haven't you heard of being fashionably late?" I asked.

"Yeah, but I would have figured you'd want to be there as soon as possible to gaze into the eyes of your lover!" Izzy said.

I laughed, "Oh my god you're so dramatic! Come on let's go before you burst a blood vessel."

"Oh Isabel, sweet, sweet Isabel, don't you know anything about love? She has to be mysterious so she keeps Jace guessing," Mia explained.

"Ummm, yeah….that's what I was doing," I mumbled. Before we walked out I replenished Sunshine's food supply. He tried to come outside with us, but I had to leave him behind. As I stepped outside, the weather felt remarkably cooler.

I could see the bonfire in the distance, but it would still take us awhile to get there. I slowed my steps, but tried to make it seem natural, like I was enjoying the view. Unfortunately, Mia saw right threw me. "You wouldn't be procrastinating, would you?" She asked.

"What?" I asked, "Of course not, just watching the waves."

"Mmmhm," Izzy said, finally catching on, "Come on, hurry up." Izzy grabbed one arm while Mia grabbed the other, and together, they practically speed walked me to the party. Once we were about five feet away, they slowed down and gave me some time to breathe.

"You ready for this?" Mia asked.

I gulped, then nodded my head. "Just say the word and we'll leave whenever," Izzy said.

"Okay, let's do this," I said, uncertain. I shook my head a little, as if to get rid of my uneasiness. I held my head high and mustered all the confidence I could. We continued walking and there must have been at least thirty people there, if not more. It was kind of nerve wracking, just walking into a group of strangers. However, I didn't let it get to me, even smiling at a group of people walking by.

After a few minutes of mingling with some girls, we walked over to the refreshment table. "See, this isn't so bad," Mia said, ever the optimist. Even though I didn't want to, I had to agree. The only problem was that I didn't see Jace. Where could he be? I was starting to worry when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I felt a smile grow on my face, but when I turned around, my smile dimmed significantly.

"Well look at who's here," Kaelie said to her friends. They all laughed like it was the most hilarious thing in the world and I couldn't help the look of disdain that I could feel growing on my face.

Before Izzy could say anything I interjected, "Can I help you with something?"

Kaelie stopped laughing long enough to realize that I said something. "Oh I was just making the rounds, making sure all my guests were doing okay," she said.

That gave me pause. "This is your party?" I asked.

"Well sure, didn't Jace tell you," she sneered, "Speaking of Jace, here he comes now." The next thing I know, she's running and jumping into his arms like it's the most regular thing in the world. Both Izzy and Mia were glaring at Kaelie, but I just felt like getting out of there. Jace was carrying ice, so it was somewhat hard for him to hug her back, which made me very happy. He saw us and started detangling himself from her and handed her the ice.

As he walked away she looked pretty mad and I couldn't help but take joy in that. "Hey," Jace said, hugging me, "I'm sorry about that. Were you waiting long?"

I hugged him back and didn't let Kaelie get to me. "Don't worry about it, we haven't been here long," I said. I looked over at Kaelie and the look she gave me was not a very nice one. I smiled at her and gave Jace my full attention.

"So you remember Isabel and Mia?" I asked.

"Of course," he said smiling at them, "How are you guys doing?"

"Oh you know," Izzy said, "Just trying to mingle with complete strangers." Mia elbowed her and I knew it was because Izzy has no problem interacting with stranger, she just wanted to give Jace a hard time.

"Well we can fix that," Jace said easily, "Why don't I introduce you to some of my friends?" He waved Izzy and Mia in front of them and I admired him for putting up with Izzy.

He paused for a moment and just looked at me, "I guess I didn't get a chance to tell you how beautiful you look tonight." I went on my tippy toes to kiss him, but I didn't have to reach far. He bent down and kissed me so I didn't have to reach that high. I could feel his lips smile against mine and it was the most amazing sensation ever. I pulled away and dragged him over to where Izzy and Mia were standing. Not surprising, I found that they were surrounded by guys.

"Jace!" One guy exclaimed, "What's up man?"

"Nothing much dude, just hanging out with my girl," he said, pulling me closer against his side.

"Well, nice to meet you," he said, holding out his hand, "I'm Jason."

I immediately like him, he didn't seem like some dumb jock, and he had a nice personality. He also wanted to shake my hand, not many people do that now a days, and it seems somewhat endearing. I shook his hand and said, "I'm Clary. And it seems like you've met Izzy and Mia."

"Yup, so what are you guys doing here in LA?" He asked.

"Just needed a change of pace," I said, "New York can get a little boring sometimes." That is definitely not how I felt, but what was I supposed to say? Yeah, we're just visiting because I was mentally unstable, so my friends thought that being here would cheer me up? Definitely not, but for some reason I felt bad about not telling Jason the truth.

"Really, I've always wanted to go to New York and from what I've seen, it looks like a hella great time. Jace is so lucky he's going to Columbia in the fall though," he said enthusiastically.

I looked at Jace surprised, "You're going to Columbia?"

Jace looked pretty surprised himself and said, "Well I haven't decided yet, but I was accepted there yes." I didn't miss the knowing glances that passed between Izzy and Mia.

"Oh, you didn't know that? Sorry to break the news dude," Jason said.

Jace sighed, "No worries, the subject hadn't really come up before." I looked up at Jace and gave him a reassuring smile. I not going to worry about what's going to happen after this summer yet, I'm going to live in the moment. He smiled back and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

Jason continued the conversation effortlessly and soon Izzy and Mia were joining in the conversation too. Before I knew it, there was a crowd of people gathered around us and Izzy looked like she was actually making friends! It looked like they were having a good time and so was I. Jace introduced me to many of his friends and they were all pretty cool, apart from Kaelie and her clones who gave me death glares every time they could.

"Come on," Jace whispered in my ear, "I want to show you something." I looked over at Izzy and Mia; it looked like they wouldn't miss me for a few minutes. Jace took my hand and we started walking along the shore.

"Are you having fun?" Jace asked.

"Of course I am. It was nice meeting your friends," I said, but hesitated on my next words, "So we're official now?"

"Well I know we didn't talk about it, but I didn't want to introduce you as just a friend because you're so much more than that. I hope that wasn't a problem," he said quickly.

"No, I'm glad I know where we stand. I didn't know how to label us," I said.

"Well how about this," he said taking my hand and kneeling down, "Clary would you do the honor of being my girlfriend?"

Even though he wasn't actually proposing, I still managed to get all choked up, "Yes." He stood up and kissed me before continuing to lead me away from all the noise of the party. We rounded a bend and hidden behind it was a beautiful little alcove. I t looked so private and peaceful that I couldn't help but marvel at its beauty.

"What do you think?" Jace asked.

After a few speechless moments I said, "It's amazing. Do you like coming here often?"

"Yeah, it's a nice place to come and think," he said, trailing off. I took off my sandals and walked over to the waters edge. The water tickled my feet and the cool evening air brushed my skin. I felt Jace come up behind me, simultaneously wrapping his arms around me and resting his chin on my head.

We stayed that way for a while, just basking in the moment. Jace sent shivers down my back when he whispered into my ear, "Would you like you like to join me for a swim?"

"Sure," I said, sad when I was released from his glorious arms. He took his shirt off and I couldn't help but stop and stare. I snapped my mouth shut as soon as I found that it was gaping open like a fish's. I started taking my dress off, then turned slightly away because facing him while taking off my dress felt like I was undressing for him, too intimate, and I wasn't quite ready for that.

I turned back around and I guess it was Jace's turn to stare. He looked at me like he could see straight down to my soul; his stare was giving me chills, the good kind. "Like what you see," I teased.

He laughed somewhat nervously and looked away. His voice was more composed when he said, "So are we getting in or what?" I walked to the edge and dipped my toes in. It was unbelievably cold and I quickly backed away.

"Not afraid of a little cold are you?" He asked. I was about to respond when he picked me up and started running into the water. I tried wriggling out of his hold, but then thought better of it and just started laughing along with Jace. "Hold your breath!" He yelled before dunking us both under the freezing water. I rose to the surface and immediately felt colder when the cold air brushed my wet skin.

Jace soon rose up next to me with his hair sticking up at odd angles and clinging to his forehead. I laughed and smoothed the hair out of his face. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me against him. He kissed me and the salt on his lips just seemed to add to the perfectness **(A/N: Is perfectness a word?****)** of this moment. I pushed him away from me and playfully started splashing him. Without further comment he dove after me and we started a splashing war. All of a sudden he dove underwater and I felt him tickling my thighs and tugging at my feet. I laughed and dove under to retaliate.

We swam underwater 'til we ran out of breath and came up to the surface gasping for air. Jace held me in his arms as we floated and I rested my head on his chest. I sighed, "I think we have to go back now."

"If you insist," he said, kissing me before swimming us back to shore. I wasn't about to put my dress on since I was dripping went, so I voiced my dilemma to Jace.

"I've got some towels in the car," Jace offered.

"Okay, let's go," I said. He smiled and held my hand. We walked back to the party, somewhat reluctantly. I felt that if I spoke, I would ruin the moment and I wouldn't be able to get it back.

"What are you thinking," Jace said, peering at me under his eye lashes.

I deliberated before I finally said, "That this is the best first date ever and that I've never been so happy in my life." Jace bent down and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. It was nothing major, barely a brush of the lips, but it still sent chills down my spine. Once we were in sight of the party, I wanted to turn around and drag Jace back to the alcove. It felt like that was our place now and I cannot wait to go back.

"There you are!" Mia exclaimed. She looked happy and slightly flushed.

"Are you drinking?" I asked, staring pointedly at the cup in her hand.

"Just a little," she said, squinting. I sighed to myself, mentally reminding myself to yell at her tomorrow.

"Where's Izzy?" I asked.

"She's around her somewhere. I think she's getting something to drink," Mia replied, hopefully something non-alcoholic I thought to myself, "So, where did you guys run off to?"

Before either of us could reply, there was a loud crash near the food table. I looked over in time to see Jordan and his friends laughing over the destruction they caused. When Jordan looked up and saw me, he said something to his friends and sauntered over. Jace shifted his body so it was angled slightly in front of me and at this moment I actually wished I had put on my dress.

"Hey Jacey boy, how are you doing?" Jordan drawled.

I felt Jace stiffen slightly before answering, "What are you doing here?"

"Now Jace, is that any way to treat your best friend?" Jordan smirked. Izzy and Mia stared at Jace incredulously, but I just looked at Jordan, wondering what he's accomplishing by crashing the party.

This time Jordan focused his attention on me and gave me the slimiest smile I've ever seen, "It's nice seeing you again." I didn't bother answering him while Jace stepped all the way in front of me so that I was blocked from view. I didn't mind him being protective, but like I told Izzy, I can take care of myself.

"It's about time you got here!" One of the drunken guys I didn't know said, clapping Jordan on the back.

"Well at least someone's happy to see me," Jordan said. What would Jordan have to do with any of the people at this party? From what Jace told me, Jordan didn't really get along with anybody.

"So did you bring the stuff?" Drunken guy asked. Then everything clicked into place, Jordan's here to do some "business" and not the good kind. Even though I didn't realize it, I was shivering; I guess the cool night air was getting to me more than I thought.

As If Jace could read my mind he said, "You're cold, I'll go run and get the towels." He kissed me on the cheek and with a warning glance directed towards Jordan, he left.

"Don't worry," Jordan yelled after Jace, "I'll look after your girlfriend for you." Without Jace covering me, I felt completely revealed. Without a word, Izzy and Mia moved on either side of me and covered me with just my face visible.

"So are you going to hook us up or what dude?" Drunken guy whined.

"Meet me by my car in 10 minutes," Jordan said, "So what are you doing here with Jace?"

"That's none of your business," I retorted.

Jordan shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant, "I just thought you should be more careful with who you spend your time with. Jace has some pretty dark secrets."

"Yeah, like you're so much better company," I countered.

"All I'm saying is that you should know a little more about the guy before you get all cozied up to him. And from what I can see, you guys were getting plenty cozy," Jordan smirked, daring me with his eyes to look away first. Before I could even think about what that meant, Jace arrived bearing towels and blankets.

"Maybe its time that you go attend to your_ business_," Izzy sneered. As I was wrapping the towel around myself, I could see Jordan checking me out and not bothering to hide it.

"Don't worry, we'll see each other again," Jordan said creepily. I looked away and leaned against Jace's chest so that I wouldn't have to see the way Jordan gazed intently at me.

"Well that was an awkward encounter," Mia said, breaking the silence. I gave her a weak smile as Jace rubbed my arms to keep them warm.

"That guys a douche," Izzy stated, "Are you guys really friends?"

"No," Jace said, "We used to be." He left it at that and neither Izzy nor Mia questioned him further. I took the towel off and slipped on my dress.

"Jace why don't we go sit by the fire?" I suggested. He nodded and took my hand.

"I guess we'll go mingle for a while," Mia said, "Come on Izzy." They both gave me reassuring smiles as Jace and I walked towards the fire. It was a pretty big fire so we sat on the side with less people, so we could have some privacy.

"Are you okay?" I asked Jace.

"Of course I'm okay," he said, "Why wouldn't I be?"

I could tell that he put on one of his fake smiles and was somewhat hurt that he would try to hide his true feelings from me. "You can't yourself from me Jace, I let you in, why can't you let me in?" I asked earnestly.

He sighed, "I'm sorry. It's just that we were best friends and we were practically brothers and it sucks how people can change one day without warning, you know?" I didn't really know what to say, since I haven't exactly been through that, so I just leaned close to him and wrapped my arms around him. We stayed like that for a while, not moving, hardly breathing.

Jace pulled away, "Enough of all that serious stuff, let's have fun." I smiled at the effort he was trying to make as we got up to talk with some of his friends. The rest of the night was full of laughing and mingling. Thankfully I managed to get the booze away from Izzy and Mia so that they didn't get too drunk. It was a great night, my earlier fears of not fitting in long forgotten. Jordan crashing the party and his rude comments were also a distant memory.

The night was already ending, so Jace walked me to Lisa's house with Izzy and Mia walking a little ahead of us. "So how do you feel about surprises?" Jace asked.

"Not usually a huge fan, but it all depends on what kind of surprise it is," I replied.

"Don't worry, it's a good one," he said.

"Well then, I might just be okay with it," I said, smiling up at him.

"Meet me here at ten thirty in your bathing suit, I'm sure you'll like this surprise," he said.

"Until then," I said, kissing him slowly. The kiss didn't last nearly as long as I wanted to, but I smiled any ways and went inside. I thought not knowing what the surprise was, was going to keep me awake, but as soon as my head hit my pillow, I was out. The last thing I thought about were Jace's lips by my ear.

**A/N: So, what did you think? Longest chapter I've ever written! Review, review, review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update, hardly have time anymore :( I'm a full time baby sitter now and it's hard to juggle everything! Well, this chapter is for kennna97 who gave me the idea for this chapter! Hope you like it.**

I woke up relaxed and ready to go see Jace. I felt so refreshed, but then I looked at the clock and realized why, its 10:12! I have to meet Jace in 18 minutes! I knew I should have set an alarm. I grabbed a towel and my robe and ran to the shower. I took the fastest shower of my life and put my bathing suit on. I took a quick peek at the clock, 10:25. I quickly threw on a grey dress and looked myself over in the mirror. I ran my brush through my tangled locks and added a small layer of lip gloss.

I sprinted over to Mia's room to tell her that I was leaving, but did not find her in her bed. I went downstairs to find her munching on some cereal and watching MTV. "Hey what are you doing up so early?" I asked, while simultaneously glancing at the clock. I didn't want to be late, but I didn't want to rush there and make it seem like I was over excited about seeing Jace again.

"Oh, I have a hangover, I couldn't sleep," she said, then after examining me closely said, "Where are you going all dressed up?"

"Jace asked me to meet him, so I'm heading out now. I don't know when I'll be back, so feel free to do whatever without me today," I said.

"Okay, have fun. We will most likely just stay in, Izzy and I had way too much to drink last night," Mia moaned.

"Serves you guys right!" I yelled, for her benefit, "You look like shit by the way. Drink lots of fluids!" I smiled at her over my shoulder and she glared at me, holding her head until I was out of sight. Sunshine was sleeping by his food bowl so I quietly filled his food bowl and slipped out the back door.

And there he was, Jace. His back was turned to me, but as soon as I shut the door, he turned around with a smile on his face. He jogged over to me and swept me off my feet, literally. One minute I'm standing there staring at him and the next, I'm in his arms with his mouth pressed against mine. "Well good morning to you too," I laughed, pulling away to stare at his face.

"Mmmm," he said nuzzling into my neck, "A very good morning so far."

"As much as I'd like to stay like this, didn't you have a surprise to show me?" I asked.

With one last kiss and a smile, he set me down and led down to the beach. On the sand, waiting for us were two surf boards. "What do you think about learning how to surf?" He asked.

"You surf?" Was the first thing that came out of my mouth.

He laughed at my shock, "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Well you don't act like the typical surfer. You do have those gorgeous blonde locks going for you though," I said, then internally winced at my stupidness.

"Ah," Jace said, "I knew that was why you decided to go out with me!"

"Yeah, that's why," I said sarcastically, "Now are you going to teach me to surf or what?"

He knew that I was trying to change the subject, but let it pass. I took off my dress and set my stuff down before walking over to the board. It was a lot taller than me and I was slightly intimidated, but it's just an overgrown skate board right? I turned to talk to Jace and realized he was still behind me. "Are you staring at my ass?" I asked.

"Maybe," he said, waggling his eyebrows up and down.

I sighed, "Just come teach me to surf before I change my mind and go back inside."

"Okay, okay, first we have to wax the board," he said coming up behind me and handing me the wax.

I turned to the board and just started moving in random circles. "No, no, no," he said, "Move in small circles across the board." I felt him against my back as he guided my hand across the board.

"Ahh, now I see why you wanted to teach me how to surf," I said, not minding one bit. He turned me around so that I was facing him and I could see the heat burning behind hid golden eyes. I put my hands on either side of his face and brushed the hair out of his eyes. I brought his head down and kissed him. Jace quickly took control of the situation, but I wasn't having that. I ran my hands down his chest and lightly bit down on his bottom lip.

He growled and pressed his lips against mine almost roughly. I felt his tongue graze my bottom lip, asking for permission, and I gladly granted him it. I marveled at this type of kissing. It was so much better than I was used to and I could do it all day. I tried to slow down the kissing, but he was having none of that. So I kissed him back with just as much passion until I broke away, gasping for air. Apparently, Jace was not done with me. He started kissing my jaw line and then down my neck. When he reached the hollow at the base of my throat, he kissing it so tenderly, I gasped in pleasure.

As much fun as this was, I was not about to continue this on the beach. I gently grabbed his face and pecked him on the lips before pulling away and smiling into his pouting face. "If you keep kissing me like that, we'll never get anything done."

"Okay, okay, let's get started," he said. We soon had the boards all waxed up and after about 20 minutes practicing on the sand, I was ready to go in the water.

"You had some pretty good reflexes on land, but let's see how you do in the water," Jace said, smirking over in my direction. It was almost 100 degrees out, but the water was so cold, it was a welcome getaway. I submerged myself completely under the water to get used to it. From the corner of my eye, I could see Jace looking at me and threw my head back, running my hands threw my hair to get rid of the excess water.

"Stop teasing me or I'm going to throw you over my shoulder and have my way with you right here on this beach!" Jace called over.

I laughed and got on my board, "You know that's starting to sound really good right about now." I winked at him and started paddling further out. Once I was far out enough, all that was left to do was sit and wait. Jace paddled up next to me, he was so close that our knees bumped each other.

"This is the best and worst part," Jace said, "I hate waiting for a wave, but sometimes, it just feels so peaceful, it's a good time to think."

"You know Jace, you're not at all what I expected," I admitted.

"What did you expect?" Jace asked, trying and failing not to sound interested.

"Well honestly, when I first laid eyes on you, you looked like some dumb jock that doesn't give a shit about anybody's feelings but your own," I paused, "But the more time I spend with you, the more I realize that there's a lot more to you than you let on." He looks at me and smiles the most beautiful smile ever. His eyes seemed less guarded and his whole face seems more relaxed than ever.

"Well you're not so bad yourself," he said. Just as he was about to open his mouth to continue, a wave hit us, and we were both knocked off our boards. I resurfaced, coughing all the excess water out of my lungs. I leaned on my board and grinned over at Jace.

"And that my dear, is what happens when you don't pay attention to the waves," he said, smiling back. We got back on our boards and focused on the waves. I caught a few waves, but they were little ones, so I wasn't that happy about it. I know understand what Jace said about the waiting. It's frustrating to have to wait for a good wave, but sitting there is just so peaceful and tranquil. Even though there weren't many good waves, there was still a hand full of surfers out, all guys.

Jace brought me back to reality when he said, "Look here comes a huge wave, be ready!" As the wave was coming up I started paddling like crazy and soon I was up! I looked to my left, but Jace had let the wave pass and I could hear him cheering me on. I was still somewhat shaky, so moving was a little difficult, but I got the hang of it. Everything was going great until I was suddenly thrown off my board. I wasn't prepared so I had a pretty bad fall. I swallowed a mouth full of water and I was dragged across the sand like a rag doll. The waves tossed me in circles and I couldn't decipher what was up and what was down.

Finally, I was deposited unceremoniously on the shore. I lost my board somewhere along the way, but then it floated up beside me completely unharmed. Jace was at my side in an instant rubbing my back as I coughed up mouthfuls of water. "Are you okay?" Jace asked, "Sorry what a stupid question, of course you're not."

"What happened?" I sputtered.

"Some jackass came in on your wave and completely just knocked you off your board! I should go kick his ass right now," Jace was so mad, his fingers tightened slightly on my arms, not enough to hurt, but enough to know he was not okay with what happened.

"I'm fine, I just…" I hissed, as I sat up, feeling a burning pain on my back. Jace helped me sit up and looked at my back.

"How bad is it?" I asked, fearing the worst.

"Well," Jace said, "You have some pretty big scratches forming, probably when you were dragged across the sand. They're bleeding slightly, but not too serious." My stomach had some scratches too, but not enough to actually hurt. I think my hands got the worst of it, since I used them the most when I was trying to block my face. They were also slightly bleeding too.

Jace came back around and kissed me palms, "I'm so sorry baby. I didn't want you to get hurt. You were doing great until that jackass ruined your moment!"

"Don't worry about it," I said, "I'll just be a little sore for a while." I tried to smile, but every time I moved, I felt a searing pain shoot up my back.

"Let me get our stuff, then I'll help you inside," he said. He kissed my cheek and ran over to our scattered belongings.

"Nice surfing," I heard a nasally voice say. I turned my head and saw Kaelie sneering at me.

"Where is your pack of clones?" I asked.

"Gave them the day off," she replied, "Not like you would care, but I'm so over Jace. I'm here with my new and IMPOVED boyfriend."

After a slight pause, "You're right, I don't care." I struggled to get up when a guy walked up to Kaelie and gave her a lazy smile.

Then I felt Jace helping me up and supporting most of my body weight. Then all of a sudden he stiffened, "You!" If I weren't holding on to Jace, I'm sure he would have lunged at the mystery guy.

He looked over at us and recognition slowly appeared on his face. "Oh, yeah, sorry." He did not sound sorry at all and Jace was not happy.

"You better give her a sincere apology, none of that half ass crap," Jace growled.

This time his growl was not one of pleasure. I was scared at what he might do, so I clutched him closer and said, "Come one, just let it go. Let's go." Jace looked down at me and I pleaded with eyes to make him see reason. I must have convinced him pretty well because his eyes softened and nodded slightly. He picked me up, being careful not to touch my back so much, and started walking back to the house.

"What a wimp, you used to go out with that guy?" I heard the nameless jackass say. I was so proud when Jace just kept walking because I know that if I heard him, Jace definitely heard him. I leaned my head against Jace's chest as he opened the door and led us inside.

"Hey Clary, you're…" Izzy trailed off when she saw me in Jace's arms.

"Before you say anything else, it's not as bad as it seems," I said cautiously.

"Oh my god! What happened to you?" Mia yelled, rushing over to me.

"Thanks Mia," I said dryly.

"How could you let this happen?" Izzy yelled at Jace. Jace looked up, shocked and outraged.

"It wasn't Jace's fault," I defended him, "We were surfing and some dumbass knocked me off my surf board right in the middle of the biggest wave ever!"

"Still, Clary was in YOUR care! You should have made sure nothing happened to her!" Izzy yelled. And that's how it went for a bout five minutes, with Izzy and Jace arguing back and forth about whose fault it is.

"Hey!" I yelled, "Injured person here!" That instantly shut them up and Izzy looked away once I made eye contact with her.

"Right, sorry baby," Jace said, kissing my forehead tenderly, "Mia do you have a fist aid kit and some calamine lotion?"

"Yeah, I think it's upstairs. I'll run up and get it," she said, running upstairs to check in the bathroom.

Jace was about to set me down on the couch when I stopped him, "Maybe you should let me lay down on my stomach."

"Right," Jace said and set me on my feet so I could lie down. I tried not to be so obvious about how much it hurt because I didn't need them worrying anymore than they already were. Jace didn't believe one minute of it though and propped some pillows up so I would be comfortable.

"Here it is," Mia said, running down the stairs and almost falling on her face. I giggled as she handed Jace the some bandages and antiseptic wipes. "This might sting a little," Jace said cautiously. He started wiping down my cuts and even though he was doing it as gently as possible I still hissed involuntarily. Jace put the bandages on and applied calamine lotion to my minor scrapes.

Once Jace was finished with my back I looked over at Izzy who still wasn't looking at either of us. "Izzy, isn't there something you'd like to say?" I questioned her, looking pointedly at Jace.

"Nope, nothing comes to mind," she said, "Now that you're feeling better, I'll be in my room." Everyone was quiet as we heard her stomp up the stairs and slam her door.

"That went well," I said sarcastically, "I thought Izzy was okay about Jace."

"She is," Mia assured me, "But you know how protective she is of you. She just wants to make sure Jace is taking care of you." Jace didn't say anything and continued rubbing in the lotion over every red scratch on my body.

"Okay, looks like you're done. I think I'll go talk to Izzy, straighten out a few things," Jace said, standing up.

"Don't tear each other to bits," I joked, "She's the second door on your left."

"I'll try not to," Jace said, seriously. He bent down and kissed me gently before walking up the stairs.

"Don't worry," Mia said, "Jace is a great guy, Izzy was just giving him a hard time. I'm sure they'll get everything straightened out."

"I hope you're right," I said, looking towards the stairs warily.

**A/N: Well that's it for now! Will Jace and Izzy be able to resolve their issues? Will Jace ever figure out that I'm the love of his life?! Well, the Jace and Izzy situation is probably more possible, but you can't blame a girl for trying! Anyway, enough of my fan girling, review review review! Can I get over five reviews before the next chapter?**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own any of these characters They all belong to the amazing Cassandra Clare.**

Jace P.O.V

I walked up the steps and hesitated in front of Izzy's room. I knew I had to talk to her, but she was making things so difficult to get closer to Clary. If I couldn't make friends with Clary's best friends, then things would get pretty awkward. I knocked firmly on Isabel's door and I waited about a minute until I heard a faint, "Come in."

I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and entered the room. "Oh, it's you," was the cheery welcome I received.

I closed the door quietly and surveyed the room. There were clothes everywhere so I had no idea where to stand. I just stood awkwardly by the door and without even thinking blurted out, "Look, I just wanted to know why you don't like me." I'm normally so calm around girls, but this was concerning Clary, so I was so nervous about getting things right.

Izzy looked at me incredulously, "Why do you assume I don't like you?"

I shook my head confused, "Well it's kind of obvious. The first day I met you, I could tell you weren't going to let Clary out of your sight. But when you were having such a good time at the bonfire, I figured we were all good."

"Wouldn't you do the same thing after everything Clary has been through? I know she told you what happened and if you think that for one second that I'm going to let you hurt Clary, than think again. Because…" Isabel trailed off when she saw my furious expression.

This time it was my turn to look incredulous, "Do you really think I'd hurt her? It may be hard for you to believe, but I truly care about Clary! If you're too stubborn to open your eyes and see that I make her happy, then you're not a very good friend. Tell me that she's still as sad as she was when you guys got here. Tell me that she hasn't changed since you guys arrived."

Silence. Isabel had nothing to say because she knew I was right. She was fuming because she couldn't prove me wrong, but why would she want to? I was making Clary happy, and that was the whole point of their trip right? I waited for her to say something, but she was turned away from me so I couldn't see the emotions crossing her face. I could however, see her clench her jaw, trying not to let anything show. As I was about to turn around and leave Isabel turned around and stared me down.

"All I want is for Clary to be safe and happy," Isabel said, "I'm not stupid, I can see that Clary's been a lot happier since she met you, but I'm warning you, don't hurt her. You weren't there when she was crying her eyes out every night since the accident because her nightmares wouldn't stop. You weren't there when the light in her eyes got dimmer and dimmer everyday because she didn't see the point anymore. It killed me everyday to see her in so much pain and I also made a promise to never let her get hurt again. I'm trusting you Jace, so don't screw this up," Isabel said, her breathing slightly irregular.

"I promise on my life that I will not hurt Clary. I will do everything in my power to make sure her life is full of nothing but happy moments. I honestly think that I may be falling for her. I know this sounds kind of weird, but since you're her best friend, can I have you're blessing to continue going out with her?" I asked, my heart beating a million miles a minute. I've never felt this way about a girl and I wanted to make sure I did it right.

Isabel looked slightly surprised, but recovered quickly and gave a small smile, "Jace, I give you my blessing to continue going out with Clary." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and smiled.

"So we're okay now?" I asked.

"Yeah," Izzy said, rolling her eyes, "We're good. Just remember, don't hurt her, I can have a sharpened stiletto ready at any moment."

I nodded solemnly and shook her hand to make it official. I turned to leave, but she stopped me before I could leave. "She's never liked anyone this much before. And every since Jonah, she's kept her heart closed to everybody. Don't break her heart Jace," Izzy said seriously. I nodded again and left the room. This time, she let me. Now Izzy and Clary weren't the only ones to make promises. I promise to be there for Clary at all times and never let her get hurt.

Clary P.O.V

"Well, I don't hear any yelling," I said.

"I don't know what you're worried about! Everything will go just fine, you are so dramatic sometimes," Mia said rolling her eyes.

"I'm dramatic?" I asked incredulously, "You are the queen of drama! Do you remember the last time you broke a nail? You made us go to five different stores before we found a cheetah colored nail set. And even then you didn't buy it because you said that the cashier gave you a dirty look."

"Hey it was a nail crisis! What was I supposed to do? Walk around with a chipped nail, I think not," Mia defended.

I laughed, "I even remember the poem you came up with:

_I broke a nail_

_I feel so pail_

_It makes me want to wail_

_Because I broke a nail_

Mia was about to respond when Jace came down the stairs. "Ummm, what did I just walk into?" He asked.

Mia blushed and looked away. "Oh, I was just saying that…" I started.

"Adflmrhknfkdf! Don't say one word!" Mia yelled, running over to clamp a hand over my mouth. I giggled behind her hand and waited for her to take her hand away. Jace shook his head and sat down on the floor next to my head.

"So how did things go?" I asked.

"Great," Jace said, taking my hand, "Izzy and I see eye to eye now. I'm sure she'll be down in a minute."

"What did you guys talk about?" Mia asked, raising an eyebrow, yet another person who could do that!

Jace saw me frowning and gave me a little nudge. He also raised an eye brow at me and I sighed aloud. "Really!" I exclaimed, "Can everyone raise one eyebrow except me?"

"Oh, Clary," Izzy said coming down the stairs, "When are you going to get over that?" Jace smiled at me and alternated putting one eye brow up, then the other. I stuck my tongue out at him and redirected my attention to Izzy even though he looked so adorable when he did that.

Izzy took one look at me and sighed as she sat on the love seat across from me. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I admit, I was a bit dramatic," Izzy admitted.

"A bit?" I asked, trying to raise an eye brow and failing epically. Mia started giggling and Izzy was trying to hide a smile. Jace tried to cover up his laugh by coughing into his hand so I gave in and soon I was shaking with laughter. It felt so good to just be with friends and laugh together. Once everyone calmed down I sat up and decided to get lunch going.

"Where do you think you're going?" Jace asked, sitting on the couch and hoisting me onto his lap.

"I figured I'd start lunch," I said.

"Well, I was going to take you out to lunch, but since you are injured why don't I make us all some lunch?" Jace asked, looking at everyone for confirmation.

"You can cook now too?" I asked, "Jace Herondale, you are starting to sound too good to be true."

"I know the basics," he defended.

"Okay, let's go, I'll help," Mia said, leading the way to the kitchen.

"No Izzy you cannot help," I said before she could say anything, "I think we've had enough of your cooking to last us a lifetime." Izzy scowled at me and turned on the TV.

"Actually Clary, I think Sunshine needs to use the facilities, if you know what I mean," Mia said from the kitchen.

"Hey don't look at me," Izzy said, "You're the one that wanted a dog."

"Can you at least go up stairs and grab me some clothes?" I asked her.

"Oh, fine," Izzy huffed as she went up the stairs. I got up and stretched my soar muscles. I groaned and tried walking. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would, but it was bearable.

Jace came into the room and pouted, "Don't tell me you're going to put on clothes? I think I'd prefer if you stayed like this every time you're around me." He put his hands on my hips and pulled me close.

"Even when I look like this?" I asked.

"No matter how you look, you'll always look beautiful to me," Jace whispered in my ear. I shivered as he kissed the sensitive spot behind my ear and turned my head so I could capture his lips with mine.

We had just barely started kissing when Izzy interrupted us. "You know," she said, "Just because I approve doesn't mean you can suck face every time you're alone." I was started to pull away, blushing a deep red, but Jace pulled me even closer and kissed me even slower for Izzy's benefit. Izzy started fake gagging so I sparred her and pushed Jace away.

"Down boy," I said smiling. He grinned back and walked back into the kitchen. Izzy handed me shorts and a loose t-shirt which I slipped on over my bathing suit.

"I'll be back in a bit," I called out.

"Wait, do you want me to go with you Clary?" Izzy asked.

"No, I'll be fine. I'll probably be gone for ten minutes, fifteen tops," I replied.

"Okay, have fun," Izzy said sarcastically. I grabbed Sunshine's leash, my phone, and we were out in the blazing heat. I squinted at the sudden glare and looked down. Sunshine ran around my feet, and then pounded off, yanking me with him. I pulled back on the leash and he obeyed by slowing down. I wasn't quite ready to chase him yet. Even though it was insanely hot, it felt good to walk out my soar muscles.

Sunshine had us walk down three streets before he found a suitable tree to pee on. I looked at him, waiting for him to finish, but he looked at me pointedly and didn't continue his business until I looked away. "Well someone's, very modest," I muttered before turning away. I felt my phone vibrate and took it out. I immediately opened it and put it against my ear.

"Hey, what took you so long?" I asked.

"_Well_ _I figured I'd give you some time to settle in before I called_," I heard Jonathon say.

"Well I'm glad you called. Everything is going great here," I said.

"_Are you sure? How have the nightmares been?_" He asked, concerned.

I sighed, "I'm fine! To be honest, I'm the happiest I've ever been in a long time."

There was a slight pause, and then Jon finally spoke, "_What changed? We did everything possible to make you happy. What's so different over in L.A that's responsible for this? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy you're finally happy again, but what changed?_"

"Well," I said hesitant to tell him about Jace, "It's not so much a what, as a he." There was an even longer pause on the other end, then a big sigh.

"Ummm, Jon, you okay?" I asked nervously.

"_Yeah_," he said quietly, "_Tell me about him_." I smiled to myself and talked on and on about Jace. I told him how we met and how we connected instantly. I told him how he was like the sun, illuminating my life, and bringing me back to myself.

"He's shown me how to believe again and it just feels so right to be with him. I know we just met, but I feel like I've known him for years. I'm tired of holding onto Jonah, it's time to move on," I finished. I realized that, that was the first time I'd actually said that I was moving on. Thinking about it, I felt bad that I haven't been thinking of Jonah so much. However, its better this way and I will always remember the time we spent together, but it is officially time to move on and I feel good about it.

"_Well, I'm really glad you're happy and you sound like you have everything under control, but just in case, I think I should stop by and see for myself_," Jon said.

"What?!" I yelled, making Sunshine jump.

"_Well_," Jon started, "_we were planning on coming to visit you guys, but just for a few days_."

"What do you mean we?" I asked.

"_Simon, Alec, Magnus, and me_," Jon said.

"And when are you planning on arriving?" I asked.

"_Tomorrow_," Jon said, managing to sound sheepish.

"Fine," I said, "but you better not embarrass me and if you must tell mom, then tell her, but don't make such a big deal out of it."

"_Okay, fine, but you don't have to sound so happy to see me_," Jon said, sarcasm audible even over the phone.

"Oh, you know I'm happy, but things are going so good right now, so you guys better not ruin it!" I exclaimed.

"_We won't, I promise_," Jon said sincerely.

"Okay, well I got to go, Sunshine is ready to go home," I said.

"_Sunshine?_" Jon asked.

"Don't worry, you two will get acquainted when you get here tomorrow," I assured him.

"_Okay, can't wait to see you_," Jon said, "And _Clary, I'm really glad your happy_."

I smiled to myself and said, "Yeah, me too." I hung up and saw that Sunshine was sitting at my feet.

"Sorry I took so long boy," I told him. I looked at the poor tree he urinated on and was glad he did not go number two because I forgot to bring a bag.

"Okay, let's go," I told him, tugging a little on the leash so he would get his lazy butt up. As we were walking back I heard a voice that I had not heard since the bon fire and I was hoping it would stay that way.

**A/N: So who did Clary run into? Hopefully its not that hard to guess. Are you guy's glad the guys are dropping in? Give me some feed back on how they will respond to Jace! Please review! It gets my creative juices flowing!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thanks again to everyone who reviews! It really does mean a lot to me, so please please review! Hope you enjoy this chapter my lovely readers!**

I hesitated for a second, but continued walking like I didn't hear anything. "Awe, come one, don't be like that," I heard him say again.

This time I stopped and turned around, revealing the annoying face of Jordan. "What do you want?" I asked.

"Now, is that anyway to treat a friend?" He asked.

"No, of course not," I said, "But I'm not looking at a friend. I'm looking at an asshole that thinks he's the shit."

"Oh, that hurts," he said, clutching his chest. He tried to act like my words didn't faze him, but his eyes tightened every so slightly and he straightened up even more.

"So," he said, "Did your little boyfriend tell you about his deep dark past?"

"That's none of your business," I said, my voice hardening, but he was right, Jace hasn't told me anything. Besides, how do I even know Jordan is telling the truth, maybe he's just lying to get me to turn on Jace. Argh, now I'm thinking too much into this, I will not let him get to me.

"Are we done here?" I asked, trying to sound bored.

"Don't worry, sooner or later, you'll come running to me," he said seriously. However, there was something in his eyes that made me shiver. I quickly looked away and heard him laugh ominously. He took a step closer to me and was about to say something when Sunshine rose up and started barking at him. His sudden burst of energy surprised me so I dropped the leash. Sunshine ran at Jordan and tried to bite his legs.

Jordan stumbled, lost his balance, and fell on his butt. I laughed and called Sunshine over to me. "Good boy," I said, scratching his head.

Jordan glared at me and tried to pull himself together. With Sunshine's leash in hand, I walked off with my head held high. I really wanted to ask Jace about his past, but he would tell me when he's ready. I don't want Jace to think I'm insecure and needy, but I'm not, I'm just worried. What if Jace never has the courage to tell me anything? Can I wait for Jace to tell me, or do I ask him? Argh! This is all Jordan's fault, if he didn't bring it up, I would be happily oblivious, but was that any better?

I breathed in and out a few times before I was calm. I sure things will work out; I just need to not worry so much. I thought of Jace and soon, my mind was free of worries. Thinking of his eyes alone, made me get butterflies in my stomach. His cocky, yet sweet smile sent me over the edge. I'm glad he wasn't like the player I saw on Facebook, but was that guy still in there somewhere? Argh, there I go again, worrying.

I shook my head, as if it would help to clear my thoughts. I looked up and realized that I was already at the house. I must have been too submerged in my thoughts to realize where I was. I walked up the steps and realized I forgot my keys. I sighed to myself and rang the bell several times. "God, I'm coming!" I heard Izzy yell.

"It took you long enough!" I exclaimed as Izzy opened the door.

Jace P.O.V

"Damn, what crawled up your ass and died?" I heard Izzy ask Clary. I left the kitchen and there she was. Her fiery hair was framing her beautiful face and I couldn't take my eyes off her. I never thought I'd end up falling for a girl so fast. I would usually just flirt with a girl that caught me eye and then hook up with them for a few nights, but this was different. Clary was different. From the first time I saw her, I knew I didn't want that with her. I knew I wanted something more, something durable. I snapped out of it when I heard Clary's response.

"Sorry," she said, "It's just that I had a run in with Jordan." She tried lowering her voice, but I was close enough to hear. My fists automatically tightened, but I restrained myself from going up to Clary and demand to know what happened.

"What happened?" Izzy asked, clearly upset as well.

Clary shook her head and looked away. "I'll tell you later," she replied.

"Watcha doing Jace," Mia yelled behind me, making me jump, and alerting my presence to Clary and Izzy.

Clary P.O.V

Did Jace hear what I said? I wasn't planning on telling him, but now I felt compelled to. I wanted him to know that I trusted him, so I'll tell him after lunch.

"Hey," I smiled. I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. At first he was stiff, but as my arms wrapped around him, he relaxed and put his hands on my waist.

"Did ya miss me?" I teased.

"Of course," he whispered and pecked me on the lips. I kissed him back and I could feel him smile in the middle of the kiss. I heard a loud cough and turned to face Izzy.

"So is lunch ready or what?" She asked. Jace ignored her and continued to kiss me. I laughed and tried to pull away, but Jace just threw me over his shoulder and ran me up the stairs. I laughed all the way up the stairs and shrugged when Izzy glared at me. Mia laughed and dragged Izzy into the kitchen.

"Damn, that ass," I giggled as I playfully swatted Jace's perfectly toned butt. His laughter shook my entire body and made me feel all tingly. I pointed him in the right direction of my room and let my hands roam his muscular back. He opened the door and threw me on my bed. I instantly hissed because I forgot about my back.

Suddenly, the pressure was gone from my back and I was lying on top of Jace. "How did you move so fast," I wondered aloud.

"Magic," Jace smirked. I looked into his eyes and got lost in their depth. I sat up to put my hair in a messy bun, so that it wouldn't be in the way. I was straddling him and immediately blushed at the intimate position we were in. I leaned down and softly kissed his lips. He put his hands on my waist and deepened the kiss. His hands roamed up my back and made me shiver. Jace smiled and lightly bit my bottom lip.

I couldn't help it; I moaned slightly and hungrily kissed him. He hit my weak spot and I wasn't going to leave this room without knowing his. I freed my lips from his and kissed his jaw. I started kissing his neck, but when I got to the spot just below his ear, he moaned too. And much louder than me might I add! I smiled to myself and sat up, satisfied.

He looked up at me and glared, "Oh, you are such a tease!" I giggled and started to get off him. He surprised me by flipping me over gently, so he wouldn't hurt my back. He put just enough of his weight on me so that I could feel the outline of his body pressed against mine.

Jace P.O.V

God, I loved this girl. No girl has ever found my weak spot like that before. Well, two can play at that game. I kissed her slowly, trying to prolong the moment. I licked her bottom lip and she gladly opened her mouth up to me. Our tongues explored one another and fought for dominance. She was putting up a good fight, but I was having none of that. I pulled away for air and I could see her gasping for air as well. I smiled as her eyes met mine and was amazed at how beautiful she was.

Her red hair complimented her pale skin and her dainty hands made me feel like I had to protect her at all times. I rolled onto my side and pulled her with me. We just lay there, staring into each others eyes. I brushed a stray hair from her face and kissed her again. I could feel things heating up between us, but I didn't want to push her, so when she pulled away from me, I let her.

"Not quite yet," she said quietly. I nodded my head and just held her close. I stroked her hair and pulled her body closer to me. She snuggled into my chest and at this moment I felt complete. We were there for I don't know how long, but she pulled away and stood up.

"I have to take a shower," she said.

I sighed, grabbing her hand, "Alright, lets go."

"Jace!" She exclaimed.

"I'm kidding," I laughed. I kissed her one more time before letting her go. She turned around to grab some clothes and I couldn't help inspecting her lovely behind.

"Enjoying the view?" She asked, swaying her hips.

"Well you got to do it earlier, now it's my turn," I said. I snuck up behind her and was about to smack her ass when she whirled around and threw herself at me. I stumbled back a few steps before landing on the bed. She kissed me and I just smiled.

"You can't get enough of me, can you?" I asked. She didn't respond, just started planting open mouthed kisses on my neck. I shivered and groaned. I had my hands on her waist, but slid them down further because she was driving me. I grasped her curvy butt and had the satisfaction of hearing her gasp.

She brought her lips back to mine and I sat up so I was cradling her in my lap. She pulled away and smirked at me. "NOW I'm going to take a shower," she sighed. I grumbled and tried to keep her with me, but she sneaked out of my grasp and pushed me back onto the bed.

"I'll be back," she said seductively, well that's how I thought she said it. Honestly, anything she said at this point would be hot. She left the room and I was left to my thoughts. Man, Clary is driving me crazy! Just having her that close to me was enough to drive me insane. I want her to be by my side at all times, not because I'm over protective (which I might be) but because it feels so good to just be in her presence. I sighed happily and waited for her to come out.

Clary P.O.V

I just stepped out of the shower and was drying off. I smiled to myself when I remembered that Jace was waiting for me in my room. I quickly finished getting ready and walked to my room barefoot. When I entered, I found Jace out on the balcony. "Beautiful view isn't it?" I asked.

"It's okay," Jace said, shrugging. He turned to look at me, "But you're more beautiful."

"Flattery will get you no where," I said blushing.

"Come on," Jace said, taking my hand, "Lunch is ready." We walked down stairs hand in hand, not saying a word, not having to.

"Hey took you guys long enough!" Izzy exclaimed.

"Yeah," Mia said, "the food is almost cold!" I walked into the kitchen and was instantly hit with the scent of garlic bread.

"Mmmmm," I moaned, "that smells amazing!"

"Well let's hope it tastes good," Mia said, "because Jace cooked most of it." I looked at him surprised, but he just shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. We sat down to eat and I made sure I got a good helping.

Izzy stared at the food on my plate, but I just rolled my eyes, "What? I'm hungry!"

The first bite I took was amazing! I think my eyes rolled back in my head slightly. "Oh my god Jace, this is like an orgasm in my mouth! Wait, it's a foodgasm!" I yelled.

Jace laughed so hard he dropped his fork, "Did you just say FOODGASM?" We all burst out laughing and I was blushing from head to toe. We settled down enough to finish eating and talk like regular people without my weird out bursts.

Once we were done, Jace and I were washing the dishes quietly. "Now that we're done with this, do you think you could but some calamine lotion on my back?" I asked. He smirked at me and pulled me closer.

"Not like that Jace! I'm serious, my back hurts," I pouted. His face turned serious as he took my hand and dragged me to the living room. I lay down on my stomach and gently rubbed in the lotion. I sighed in content and felt myself relaxing under his soothing touch.

"All done," Jace said, kissing my forehead.

"What now?" I asked, sleepy.

"Now," Jace said, looking at his watch, "I go to work."

"You never did tell me where you work," I said.

"Believe it or not, I work with my dad's construction company," Jace said quietly. I thought about it then smiled. Sweaty Jace working without a shirt? Now that I could get used to.

"Remind me to come visit you sometime at work," I whispered quietly. Jace seemed to catch on and smiled at me. He leaned down to kiss me good bye, but it was hard to let him go. Jace pulled away first and kissed my forehead, letting his lips linger for a few seconds.

"I'll call you later," he said, rising fluidly in one smooth motion. He said good bye to Izzy and Mia and was gone. I sighed and closed my eyes, trying to take a little cat nap.

-Later that evening-

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes to find that it was already 6:30. I went upstairs to change into something more comfortable. When I passed Lisa's room her door was slightly open, so I saw a sight that made my heart skip a beat. I quietly knocked on Lisa's door and peeked inside. "Hey," Lisa said, "Come on in."

I sat down on the edge of her bed and got straight to the point. "Is that a 1960 Hummingbird?" I asked in awe, pointing at the guitar in the corner.

Lisa smiled, "Yeah it is, do you know much about guitars?"

I nodded my head reverently, "Yeah, I have an Epiphone Hummingbird at home, but its nothing compared to yours."

Lisa laughed, "Well, honestly, I don't even play it, would you like to try it out?" I snapped my head up to look at her and nodded solemnly. She stood up and handed me the Hummingbird. It felt amazing in my hands, I gently held it, and plucked a few strings. It sounded amazing! I've always wanted to play one and Lisa just had it lying in the corner collecting dust! Original ones are so hard to find and usually retail prices are over ten thousand dollars!

"You know what," Lisa suddenly said, "you can have it." I stared at her, dumbfounded, not knowing what to say. Then I found my voice, but for some reason, I was protesting.

"No, no, no," I said, "I couldn't possibly take this from you." I tried handing it back, but she wouldn't let me.

"You'll get more use out of it than I will," she said, "why don't you sit and chat with me for a bit and we'll call it even."

"That hardly seems like a fair trade, but sure, anything," I said enthusiastically, I'd do anything to make this guitar mine.

"So," Lisa started, "I hear you have a new guy in your life."

I eyed her suspiciously, "Mia told you didn't she?"

Lisa laughed, "Yes she did, but don't be mad at her, she just wanted me to talk to you. I also wanted to make sure you were making the right decision."

I thought about my answer before saying, "Well, I was definitely cautious when I first met him. He definitely doesn't look like the type of person I'd date. I don't know where this summer will lead us, but for now, I'm happy and that's all that matters right?"

"Of course," Lisa said, "but I remember Izzy being so worried about you after what happened to Jonah and I wanted to make sure you were thinking straight. I know you're a smart girl Clary, so I won't give you a big lecture about being safe when you two are together, but just know that if you ever need to talk, my door's wide open."

I blushed furiously at Lisa's insinuation and said, "I'll keep that in mind, thank you Lisa. I really appreciate that. And thanks again for the guitar."

"No problem sweetie," Lisa smiled. I hugged her and headed off to my room. I changed into some sweats and a tank top. After getting comfortable, I sat down on the edge of my bed and started strumming my guitar. God, it sounded beautiful. I was playing random chords and just messing around until my fingers started moving to the rhythm of my favorite song.

I lost my concentration when my phone started blasting Maroon 5's, Payphone. "Hey Jace," I said happily, reading the caller ID.

_"Hey beautiful, what are you doing?"_ He asked.

"Oh, nothing just playing the guitar," I replied.

There was a slight pause, the he said, _"I didn't know you played the guitar."_

"Well you didn't ask," I laughed.

_"Okay smartass, play me something,"_ he demanded.

"What?" I asked, "Right now?"

_"No next year,"_ he said seriously, then, _"Yes of course right now!"_ I hesitated so long I almost forgot I was on the phone.

_"Clary, are you still there?_" Jace asked alarmed.

"Ummm, yeah, sorry," I said, "Well, here goes….."

**A/N: So what did you think? I added a little Clace fluff and a little heart to heart with Lisa. Tell me what you think! Always glad to hear from you! I wish I could respond to some of your lovely reviews, but sadly, you have your PM turned off. It's okay though, I still love you guys! Happy readings **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Here is the next chapter! The song is Give Your Heart a Break by Demi Lovato. I think it's really spot on about how Clary is hesitant about a relationship. I know most people usually skip the songs, but read the words! They are really meaningful.**

I took a deep breath and shook out my fingers. **I would also suggest listening to the song! It's a great song **

_The day that I first met you / You told me you never fall in love / But now that I get you / I know fear is what it really was / Now here we are, so close / Yet so far, haven't I passed the test / When will you realize / Baby I'm not like the rest / Don't wanna break your heart / I wanna give your hear a break / I know you scared its wrong / Like you might make a mistake / There's just one life to live / And there's no time to wait, to wait / So, let me give your heart a break / Give your heart a break, / Let me give your heart a break / Give your heart a break / Oh, yeah yeah / One Sunday, you went home alone / There were tears in your eyes / I called your cell phone, my love / But you did not reply / The world is ours, if we want it / We can take it, if you just take my hand / There's no turning back now / Baby, try to understand / Don't wanna break your heart / I wanna give your hear a break / I know you scared its wrong / Like you might make a mistake / There's just one life to live / And there's no time to wait, to wait / So, let me give your heart a break / Give your heart a break, / Let me give your heart a break / Give your heart a break / Oh, yeah yeah / When your lips are on my lips / Then our hearts beat as one / But you slip out of my fingertips / Every time you run / Don't wanna break your heart / I wanna give your hear a break / I know you scared its wrong / Like you might make a mistake / There's just one life to live / And there's no time to wait, to wait / So, let me give your heart a break / Cuz you've been hurt before / I can see it in your eyes / You try to smile it away / Some things you can't disguise / I don't wanna break your heart / Baby, I can ease the ache, the ache / So, let me give your heart a break / Give your heart a break / Let me give your heart a break / Give your heart a break / There's just so much you can take / Give your heart a break, / Let me give your heart a break / Give your heart a break / Oh, yeah yeah / The day I first met you / You told me, you never fall in love _

I finished strumming and took a breath. I waited for Jace's response, but there was none. I waited a few more seconds and was about to say something when all of a sudden Jace yelled, "Jesus Clary that was amazing! Why didn't you tell me you could sing? Now that's another thing to add to the things that I love about you." As soon as Jace said the last sentence I heard a sharp intake of breath.

"Did you just say L-LOVE?" I stuttered.

"Ummm, well you I know…what's not to love about you," Jace said, trying to blow off the fact that he just used the L word. I tried to act as nonchalant as him, but something inside me broke a little when he didn't tell me straight out how he felt about me.

"Oh, well thanks," I said.

Jace P.O.V

Why am I such an idiot! I should have just told her how I felt, but she didn't seem to keen on sharing her feelings either, so I wouldn't push her on it. Damn, did I just say KEEN? What the hell is happening to me? There was silence on the other end and I realized Clary was probably waiting for me to say something. "So….where did you learn how to play the guitar?" I asked.

"Ummm, my dad taught me," she said. She didn't elaborate, so I didn't question her further.

"So there's something I have to tell you," Clary said hesitantly. That doesn't sound like good news.

"Well, I'm all ears," I said uncertainly.

"My brother and a couple friends are coming to visit tomorrow," she finally said.

I breathed a sigh of relief, "Well that doesn't sound too bad."

"I just wanted to warn you because ever since what happened with Jonah, Jon has been really protective of me, more than Izzy and Mia. But even if Jon doesn't like you, I wouldn't care because I really like you Jace and I don't want anyone to scare you away," Clary said quickly.

I smiled to myself, that little confession was good enough for me. "No one will ever scare me away from you Clary. I care too much about you for anyone to do that," I said truthfully.

"Well that's good to know," Clary said, the smile evident in her voice and I smiled too, knowing that I was the reason for making her feel this way.

"Unfortunately, I have to go now, I promised my brother I'd play video games with him before he went to bed," I said, almost forgetting my promise until I saw Max standing im my doorway.

"No problem, have fun," Clary said, "I'll see you tomorrow, Jace."

"Good night Clary, I'll be counting down the hours until we see each other again!" I said dramatically.

I was rewarded with a small giggle from Clary, "Good bye Jace!" I chuckled and ended the call. As soon as I put my phone down, Max came and jumped on top of me.

"Can we please go play now?" He asked.

"Yeah, yeah, let's go," I said as I threw him over my shoulder and walked down the stairs. I couldn't get Clary's voice out of my head. Her voice was amazing and I felt like that song was about us. I sat down on the couch with Max, but I couldn't really concentrate on the game because my thoughts kept drifting back to Clary. I'm nervous and excited about tomorrow, I can't wait.

Clary P.O.V

I went to go say good night to Izzy and Mia with a smile on my face. I told them all about the boys coming tomorrow and they were ecstatic, especially Izzy. As soon as I told her Simon was coming, she wouldn't stop talking. Mia didn't look too happy though, so I distracted Izzy by telling her to go pick out an outfit for tomorrow. That shut her up pretty quickly and she ran to her room.

"Thanks," Mia said sadly.

"Do you still like Simon?" I asked. Mia looked away then looked back at me and nodded. I sighed and put my arm around her. "Everything will work itself out," I promised her.

"How?" She asked doubtfully.

I pulled back and looked at her seriously. "Things happen for a reason Mia. Just be patient and wait for everything to fall into place," I advised. She smiled a watery smile at me and hugged me tightly.

"Thank you," Mia said.

"Anytime," I responded. She got up and after saying good night, went to her bed room. I also got up and walked over to my room, feeling light and happy. Once I walked in my room, I leaned against the closed door and sighed. I closed my eyes and thought about my day. Things were going great; the only problem was Jordan. There's this little voice in the back of my head that kept reminding me that Jace was harboring a secret. And I had no idea what it could be.

I got into bed and tried to relax. I thought about Jace and I was soon drifting off to sleep.

-The next morning-

_"Why did you leave me Clary?" A bloody Jonah asked. His eyes were full of sadness and he looked disappointed in me._

_ "I didn't mean to!" I cried, "It just happened! I-I-I think I love him."_

_ "You don't love him. How can you love a guy who is hiding secrets from you? He doesn't love you Clary, he's just using you," Jonah said. His wounds looked like they were brand new because blood was dripping from his head. He reached out to me and caressed me with a bloody hand._

_ I jerked my head away as I let the tears flow from my eyes. "This isn't real!" I yelled, "Just leave me alone!"_

_ "I thought you loved me Clary," Jonah said, voice laced with hurt._

_ "I do, I did, but it's time to move on, I'm sorry," I said, fresh tears pooling in my eyes. Jonah let out an animal like roar and I was plunged into darkness._

I woke up with someone's arms wrapped around me and the blankets clinging to my sweaty legs. My screams turned to whimpers as the person holding me smoothed the hair out of my eyes and comforted me. I finally calmed down enough to look up and find myself looking into the eyes of my best friend Simon.

He gave me a small smile and wiped the tears off my face with his thumbs. I threw my arms around him and hugged him as tightly as possible. "Sorry to interrupt," I heard from the door. I let go of Simon to look over at Jace holding some Starbucks cups in his hands and a small bag of parties. When I looked at his face though, it was cold and hard. I grimaced because if a complete stranger walked in on me and Simon, they would think we were in item. I was practically in Simons lap and he still had his arms wrapped around me protectively.

Then Jace noticed I had been crying and his eyes softened, but his face remained hard. "What happened?" He asked.

"I was having a nightmare," I replied.

"I thought you stopped having those," Jace said, voice full of concern.

"I thought so too," I sighed. Then realizing that Simon was still holding me, I untangled myself from him and got off the bed. I guess it didn't help that I was wearing booty shorts and a tight tank top.

"Simon, this is my boyfriend Jace, Jace this is my best friend Simon," I said introducing them. Understanding registered on Jace's face, but his posture still remained rigid. Simon got up and extended his hand out to Jace. I could tell Jace shook Simon's hand with a firm grip because I could see Simon wince slightly.

"Simon, why don't you wait for me downstairs and then you can tell me how you ended up in my bed," I said wryly. He grinned sheepishly and with a slight nod in Jace's direction, he went downstairs.

I turned towards Jace and attacked him in a huge bear hug. He hugged me with one arm so that he could put the drinks down and then I felt both his arms wrap around me tightly. I went on my tip toes and brought his head down and kissed him with every ounce of energy in me. He responded immediately and I felt his whole body relax as he gave in to my kiss. I smiled and kissed him for a few more moments before pulling away to look at his face.

"Were you jealous?" I asked him. He tried to look away, but I held his face so that he couldn't turn away.

"Yes," Jace admitted.

I smiled and pecked his lips. "That's what I figured," I said, "just don't let it become a habit, okay?"

"Deal," he said and picked me up so I wrapped my legs around his torso as he walked me over to my bed. He kissed me quickly before unceremoniously dumping me on my bed.

"Hey, what was that for?" I asked. He smirked at me before turning towards my dresser. He rummaged around before he pulled out a green shirt and some kaki short shorts.

I looked at the outfit he choose and said, "You know, I can pick out my own clothes. Do you want to change me to?"

"If you insist," Jace said and came towards me quickly. Before I could object he took me shirt off, but just stared at me once it was off. Then all of a sudden the door burst open. Jon stood there, frozen after seeing me without a shirt then covered his eyes and turned around.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jon asked, "Put a shirt on!" Jace smirked and gave me my green shirt. I debated and quickly took off my bottoms and put on my shorts. I saw Jace looking at me, but at this point what does it matter if he saw me in my underwear? He's seen me in a bikini and that's basically the same thing.

I looked into his eyes and leaned up to kiss him. He continued to kiss me until Jon interrupted again. I honestly, almost forgot he was there. "Are you done yet?" Jon asked, exasperated.

"Yes," I said, "you can turn around now." He turned around and immediately his eyes went to Jace.

"I'm guessing you're the boyfriend," Jon said.

"You guessed right," Jace replied, "I'm Jace." He extended his hand and this time; Jace wasn't the only one squeezing too hard during the hand shake. Both of them looked like they were trying to break the others hand.

"Well that's enough of that," I said prying their hands from each other, "Lets go downstairs and see what everyone else is up to." I made Jonathon walk in front of me and held onto Jace's hand as we walked down the stairs. Once we were down stairs I saw Lisa chatting with Magnus and Alec. And of course Magnus had to be dressed in the most sparkly outfit he could find.

"Finally, you're up!" Izzy exclaimed. I looked at her and realized that she was actually dressed and already had her makeup done.

"Wow Izzy, why are you dressed up so nice?" I asked. She gave me a glare as she quickly glanced in Simon's direction. I saw him blush and look away.

"Clary, darling," Magnus exclaimed. He walked up to me and smothered me in a huge hug. He held me at arm's length and scrutinized me deeply.

"Somebody seems happier," he commented, and he took a look at Jace and smiled, "and I can see why."

I squirmed out of his embrace and left him to talk to Jace. I turned to smirk at Jace and saw him begging me with his eyes to rescue him. I smiled even bigger and sat down next to Simon. "So," I drawled out, "why exactly were you in my bed this morning?" It's not like it bothered me, Simon and I have had plenty of sleep over's, but I didn't want Jace getting the wrong idea.

I saw Izzy glance at Simon sharply before he responded. "Well," he started, "we got here a little earlier than expected so I was going to come up and surprise you. I heard you screaming so I came in to see if you were alright. I saw you thrashing around, so I tried calming you down."

"Good answer," Izzy said threateningly. I smiled at Izzy and turned my attention back to Simon.

I patted his hand reassuringly, "Thanks for that. I thought I was done having nightmares. That's the first one I've had since I got here."

"Really?" Simon asked, "Why do you think they stopped all of a sudden?"

"I don't know," I said uncertainly. I unconsciously glanced in Jace's direction and Simon's gaze followed mine.

"Ahh," Simon said, "I see." Jonathon was now talking to Jace and it looked like they were having a serious conversation.

"Hey Alec," I said, trying to distract myself from the fact that Jon was probably threatening Jace, "how have things with Magnus been?"

Alec smiled wryly at me, "Oh you know, the usual. He keeps trying to get me into all his sparkly clothes and a few days ago, he even tried to die my hair blue in my sleep!"

"Yup," I said, "sounds like the same old Magnus to me."

When the boys came back over to us Lisa finally spoke up, "So, anybody ready for breakfast?" Everyone nodded their heads vigorously as I felt my stomach growl loudly.

"Okay," I said, "everyone but Izzy, Magnus, and Alec help."

Lisa looked at me confused, but it was Alec that answered her, "Izzy and I are hopeless in the kitchen, it must run in the family. And the only thing Magnus knows how to make is cereal."

"Hey," Magnus interjected, "when you look this good, you need to make sure to keep it safe from any safety violations." Jon rolled his eyes and headed towards the kitchen. I sighed happily to myself, I really missed these guys.

-Skip to end of the day-

I smiled to myself and looked around me at all the amazing people in my life. We were currently sitting in the living room, relaxing from a long day of having fun. After breakfast we went to the beach and played volleyball. Jace of course showing off his amazing skills and I was of course basking in the realization that he was mine.

After a while, Jon warmed up to Jace and now they talk to each other like they've been friends for years. Simon on the other hand, was not being so accepting of Jace. Throughout the day, I would see Simon glaring at Jace or acting like he wasn't there. Jace tried to talk to him, but Simon just wouldn't open up. What is wrong with him? I was interrupted from my thoughts by Jace who was pulling me onto his lap.

"What are you doing?" I asked snuggling deeper into his chest.

"You were too far away," he whispered in my ear. I smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek. Today was a great day, but I felt like Jace was keeping something from me. He didn't seem all there today. I would catch him staring off into space at odd times, but he would just brush it off.

I furrowed my brow in thought and blocked off my surroundings. Today was a perfect day, what could have gone wrong? I thought back to everything we did today and came to the conclusion that nothing bad had happened. Did I do something? I think I should talk to him before he leaves because I could not just leave it like this.

Jon seemed to read my mind and stood up, "I think its time for us to go guys." I gave him a grateful smile and stood up to hug everyone. I went over to Simon, intending to talk to him, but he just gave me a quick hug and went to say bye to Izzy. Okay, something was definitely up. The boys went back to their hotel with Magnus promising us a shopping spree tomorrow. I sighed and prepared myself mentally for tomorrow.

"Well, that was an amazing day," Mia said.

"Yeah, but long," Izzy complained, "I think I'm heading up to bed now."

"Yeah, me too," Mia said, she looked at us, "Be on your best behavior!" I blushed and looked down. Jace just laughed and brushed a stray hair out of my face. I started to lean into his touch, but stopped myself and looked him dead in the eye.

"Jace," I said confidently, "is there something you're not telling me?" A mix of emotions crossed his face, surprise, anger, regret, and resignation.

I didn't think he was going to tell me anything, but he looked at me seriously, opened his mouth and spoke what I've been dying to hear for days.

**A/N: Cliff hanger! Hope you guys liked the chapter. I'm still kind of undecided about what I want his secret to be, so PM me or leave me a comment about what you think it should be! Thanks, happy readings! **


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Well, her it is, Jace's big secret! I kind of had writers block trying to write this chapter and my junior year is really kicking my butt so far, so that's why it has taken me so long! Sorry, hope you enjoy!**

Jace P.O.V

I took a deep breath to steady myself and began. "It all started about a year and a half ago. I had everything going for me, I was popular, I had an amazing girlfriend that I loved. And everyone thought I had the perfect life even though it was far from it. My parents were always fighting, but I never let me brother Max and my younger sister Mary take notice." I looked over at her and could see surprise on her face.

"Yes, I used to have a younger sister, but I'll get to that eventually. Otherwise, I had a pretty good life. At the time, I thought I was in love with my girlfriend Ashley, but I later realized that I was just using her to fill a void I didn't know I had. One day, Mary stayed home from school because she was sick and I was supposed to take care of her after I got out of school. Everything was running smoothly, she was in her room resting while I was making her some soup in the kitchen.

Then all of a sudden Ashley came barging in, yelling at me because she thought I was cheating on her. I figured Mary would be fine if I stepped out for a few minutes, so I went outside to talk to her. But I forgot to turn off the stove…and it was the biggest mistake I've ever made." My voice caught on the last few words so I had to swallow a few times before I could speak again. Clary rubbed my back reassuringly and with that motivation I continued my story.

"I calmed Ashley down enough so she wouldn't cause a scene. We had just barely rounded the corner when she started yelling at me. At the top of her lungs, she started screaming about how I was a horrible boyfriend and I suddenly knew that her whole purpose was to make a scene. I didn't want to listen to her screaming anymore, so I told her that I had to go back home and check on Mary. We were gone ten minutes tops, but that was all it took.

When we got back to the house, you could see flames everywhere. Ashley just stood there; her hand covering her mouth, but it was like a switch was flipped and I sprang into action. I took off running towards the house, but I could hear Ashley telling me to come back. She didn't understand, couldn't possibly understand that I couldn't just leave Mary like that. 'Just call the fire department' I yelled over my shoulder. I tried to open the door, but the door knob was hot to the touch, so I shouldered the door open.

I cautiously walked inside because there was smoke everywhere so I couldn't see that well. I heard screaming from upstairs so I immediately ran towards the stairs. But since the kitchen was right next to the stairs, the fire started there, so there was a huge wall of fire blocking me from going up stairs. I yelled Mary's name, telling her to stay calm. I could hear her whimpering and that gave me the motivation to jump the fire, but I didn't do a good job because my foot was stuck in a stair and I was pretty badly singed.

As I was trying to get my foot out, I heard a creak and looked up just in time to see part of the fiery ceiling come down on me. I blacked out, but I could still hear Mary's cries. She kept yelling my name over and over again. To this day, I still hear her cries of pain and it kills me everyday!" I stopped to take a shuddering breath because that was the worst part. Hearing her in so much pain and not being able to do a damn thing about it. I glanced in Clary's direction and saw not pity, but understanding and pain. Tears glistened in her eyes and I brought her closer to me, I'm not sure if it was to comfort her, or me.

"The firefighters finally got there and I told them to get Mary first, but they didn't listen. Only when they got me unstuck did they try to go up the stairs. The fire was too big though. The whole stair case collapsed and there was no way to get to the second floor. I tried to go back, but the firefighters had me in a firm grip and wouldn't let me go. Once we got outside, my eyes started to water and I tried to dispel all the smoke from my lungs. It wasn't 'til we finally got outside that I realized that I couldn't hear anymore cries for help from Mary," this time I completely broke down, no more words forming on my lips.

Clary pulled me onto her lap and I clutched her close to me, needing to hold onto something…to someone. I never cry, but with all these emotions rushing back at me, it was hard not to. I also loved the fact that Clary didn't try to console me and say it wasn't my fault. She just held me and that's all I ever really needed, for someone to hold me. After about ten minutes, I calmed down enough to wipe my eyes and sit up.

Clary held my face between her hands and finally spoke, "I'm not going to say I know how you feel because I have no idea. You can't blame yourself for what happened though. Yes, you made a mistake, but you can't keep this guilt on you forever."

I got up angrily. "But it is my fault!" I yelled, "Then lowered my voice when I remembered we were inside, "if I hadn't left the house, Mary would still be alive right now."

Clary P.O.V

This time it was my turn to be angry. "You don't know that. What if it would have happened anyways, whether you stayed or not? Have you ever thought of that? Things happen for a reason Jace and you can't keep blaming yourself for your sister's death."

Jace flinched as if my words physically hurt him. I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. At first he just stood there like a statue, but gradually he loosened up and wrapped his arms around me. "I'm sorry," Jace mumbled into my hair.

"For what?" I asked, pulling back to see his face.

"I know you're only trying to help, but it's hard to let go. For the past year I've always blamed myself for what happened, I don't think I'm going to be able to come to terms with this for a while," Jace admitted.

I smiled and kissed him softly on the lips. "Letting go is definitely something I had a problem with, but YOU helped me with that. So I think it's only fair that I help you. We can get through this, together."

Jace smiled down at me and smiled, the light not quite reaching his eyes, "Wow we are such a cliché! Two broken people, coming together, trying to fix each other."

I smirked at him and pushed him away. "Thanks for ruining the moment!" He laughed weakly and gathered me in his arms again. Ours eyes locked and the laughter soon left his eyes. It was replaced with a passion that took my breath away. Our lips touched in the middle, and that's what it was, just a touch. His lips brushed over mine like a feather, but I needed more.

I leaned in and our lips moved in synch. It started out sweet and slow, but I could feel the underlying passion. Things quickly escalated and I quickly moved away to gasp for air. I tried to slow my heart beat so I leaned my forehead against his and closed my eyes. When I finally opened my eyes, Jace was smiling at me sadly.

"Why is it that even when I'm telling you the most depressing news, all I can think about is your lips, and holding you close?" Jace murmured against my cheek. I smiled wryly and leaned into his touch.

"I don't know, maybe we're just two sick, twisted people meant for each other," I murmured. Jace chuckled and kissed me again. This time I contained myself and kissed him back softly. He sighed and kissed me just below my jaw.

"I think its time that I go," Jace whispered against my cheek, "If I stay any longer, I'm not going to want to leave."

I smiled at him, "That doesn't seem like such a bad idea." His only response was to grunt softly and pull me closer, but not to kiss like I thought. He just held me, and that was even better. He held me like I was something precious; something worth caring about and that gave me the best kind of butterflies in my stomach.

I pulled away first and walked him out to his truck. Since I couldn't exactly talk to him through his window without a step ladder, I hopped onto the cars railing so I could actually see him.

Jace smiled at my attempt to be taller and leaned out to kiss me goodbye. He held onto my face while I gripped onto the truck for dear life. I smiled in the middle of the kiss and pulled away first. "Good night," I said, smiling so hard that my cheeks hurt. I hopped off and watched him back out of the drive way. I didn't go back inside until his truck was completely out of sight. When I finally went inside, my head was whirling with all this newfound information.

I was relieved that Jace finally told me about his past, but I couldn't help but think that Jordan had something else up his sleeve. Whenever he would taunt me about Jace's secrets, he always made it seem like they were far worse than they actually were. Or maybe that was just my overactive imagination making a big deal over nothing. I shake my head, mentally expelling any negative thoughts from my mind and focus on the more positive things. Like the fact that Jace finally opened up to me! It feels good to know that he trusts me so much. And now that he finally told me his secret, our relationship can develop even more now.

I walk up the stairs, all seriousness gone from my thoughts. Jace. I never knew one word could make me so happy. Just thinking about him gets me in a happy mood. There is nothing that could ruin us now.

Jordan P.O.V

I can see her. Her fiery red hair is like a beacon. I'm hiding behind a rock so she won't see me, but I have a clear view into her bed room. "She should really learn to close her drapes," I chuckled to myself. I am so done with Jace getting everything he wants on a silver platter. I thought Jace exposing his secret to Clary would drive a wedge between them, but it only seemed to make them stronger. Why do I want to see Jace suffer you may ask? Well I'm done with seeing him be happy and cared for. Yes some might call me bitter, but there's nothing sweeter then revenge. Revenge for what you may ask? Now, now, now, if I revealed my plan to you, then everything will be ruined.

I will say this though; the way to make Jace feel pain is to hit him in his weak spot. And that my dear readers, is at Clary.

-Four days later-

Clary P.O.V

"I can't believe you're leaving already!" I complained, not for the first time today. I sitting next to Jon while we were waiting for his pain to arrive and I was getting restless.

"You know we can't stay longer," Jon pointed out.

"Yeah, we all have lives to get back to Clare-bear, our world doesn't revolve around you," Magnus said.

"I disagree," Jace whispered in my ear. I blushed and smiled at him expectantly. He took the hint and kissed me quickly on the lips.

"That's all I get?" I teased.

"For now," Jace said mysteriously.

"Ewe can you guys at least wait until I'm on the plane," Jon said.

"Did you just say ewe?" I giggled. He glared at me while I thought back on the last four days. Everyone got along great and we had loads of fun. I was actually pretty surprised that Jon warmed up to Jace so quickly.

_Flashback_

"Clary, can I talk to you for a bit?" Jon asked me.

"Yeah sure," I said, wondering what brought on this sudden need to talk. I got off of Jace's lap and followed Jon onto the back porch. We got comfortable on the chairs outside and took in the sea breeze. I closed my eyes a moment, relishing the coolness, then finally opened my eyes to find out what Jon wanted.

"So what's going on?" I asked, somewhat impatient.

"I just wanted to let you know that….I-I," he mumbled.

"Just spit it out!" I practically yelled.

Jon sighed loudly and looked me directly in the eyes, "I approve of you and Jace." I just kind of sat there in silence, waiting to see if he'd say more. He did, "I didn't think you dating again would be very healthy, but Jace is a good guy. I'm not gonna lie, I tried to dig up dirt on him and found his facebook page. When I saw all the girls he dated, I was determined on forbidding you from dating him."

I was about to defend Jace when Jon held put a hand, silencing me. "I'm not finished yet," Jon said wryly, "When I saw the way he acted around you, the way he treated you, I knew he was not that guy. He treats you right, and that's all I ever wanted. You deserve happiness again Clary, and I'm glad you finally found it."

NO words could express the way I felt. I threw my arms around him and didn't let go for a while. One lone tear slid down my face, but it was a tear of joy, joy that things were finally turning out the way they were supposed to.

_End flashback _

I jumped back into reality and realized Simon and Mia were missing. "Hey, where did Simon and Mia go?" I asked no one in particular.

"I believe they left in search of coffee," Magnus said, but there was something else in his eyes that suggested otherwise. Magnus gave me a knowing look and then quickly went back to talking to Alec. I snuck a glance at Izzy and was grateful to see that she was too busy staring off into space to notice.

"I'm going to go look for them," I said, "the plane is almost here." Jon nodded his head, clueless, while Jace looked at me with a somewhat amused look on his face.

"And what's so funny sir?" I asked him with a barely contained smile.

"Oh, nothing," he said, "just wondering if I should come with you to make sure you don't meddle." I gave him a sharp look and tugged him along with me.

"Could you be a little louder Jace? I don't think the rest of the airport heard you," sarcasm dripping from every word. I snuck another glance at Izzy, but she was completely oblivious. Sometimes I wonder what goes on in that head of hers.

"Relax," Jace said, "nobody heard me. Besides, what Simon and Mia do in their spare time is none of your business."

"It is if its concerning two of my best friends hearts getting broken!" I whisper-yelled.

"Okay," Jace said, "it's your decision, but I am merely going to watch your little plan blow up in your face." I looked at his smirking face and decided to ignore him and see how he liked it.

"Are you seriously not talking to me?" He asked after a minute. I continued walking and acted like I never heard him. Inside I was laughing because whether Jace liked it or not, I held some power of him.

"Oh, come on! I was just kidding, please forgive me!" He said, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around me. I took one look at his puppy dog face and burst out laughing.

"Awe, you look so cute when you make that face," I smiled, pecking him on the cheek.

"Victory!" He exclaimed, "I thought I would have to bust out into song and dance to get my point across."

I was about to respond when I looked to my right and saw Simon and Mia making out by the phone booth. I gasped and tried to turn away, but Jace was right there and we ended up colliding with each other, making our presence known to practically half the airport thanks to my supposed way of "sneaking."

Both Simon and Mia looked at me guiltily, but Mia was the first to speak. "Clary, it's not what you think!" Mia protested.

"Oh, so you were just giving him CPR? Is that it? With your tongue!" I whispered angrily, "Why would you do this to Izzy? You guys are best friends. And Simon, I expected better from you. The Simon I know would never have done this. I don't know what finally brought this on, but I don't care. Both of you are telling Izzy right now, before things can get even worse."

I spun on my heel and walked away without waiting for a response. My dramatic exit would have been better if I didn't trip over my own two feet, but luckily Jace was there to catch me. "Thanks," I whispered.

"Anytime," he replied. Being this close to him always rattled my brain a bit, so it took me a few seconds to untangle myself from him.

"So where are they?" Jon asked once we made it back.

"Oh, they're coming, their little coffee expedition took a little longer then expected." Jon looked at me as if he knew something, but I just shook my head and looked away. You don't know the half of it, I thought sadly to myself.

"There you are!" Izzy said. She walked, more like strutted, up to Simon and pulled on his hand. However, Simon resisted and stayed rooted in place. He whispered something into her ear and she nodded with a frustrated look on her face. She looked at Mia, but the look on Mia's face made it clear that she would not be receiving good news.

The three walked away to find a quiet corner to talk. "What's going on?" Alec asked, going into full on brother mode.

"Well," Jace said, "shit just got real." Everyone stared at him with a mix of expression. Magnus had a bemused expression on while Alec looked frustrated and I just started laughing to ease the tension. Jon and Jace joined in on the laughter and soon the tension died down. It seemed that Magnus calmed down Alec enough to not jump to conclusions, but he still looked worried.

"Who do you think would win in a fight?" Jace asked, "Alec or Simon?"

"Jace!" I exclaimed, smacking his arm.

"What? It's a fair question, it seems like Simon is in deep shit and being the caring person that I am, I want to know if he'll make it."

"Oh, don't worry about it. Izzy can take care of herself. If anything, she'll impale him with one of her stilettos." I said, but it wasn't Simon I was worried about. How would Mia and Izzy work through this? Its one thing to have a crush on the same guy, but a whole other thing to make out with him behind your best friends back. I sighed, wondering how the rest of the summer will turn out now.

Jace sensing my discomfort put his arm around me and pulled me close. "Things will work out eventually," he said.

"But what if they don't? What if they never talk to each other ever again? And it will be partly my fault because I'm the one who told them to come clean. And what if…"

"It's not your fault! Did you tell Mia and Simon to sneak behind Izzy's back and make out? No. It was their choice and they'll have to live with it for the rest of their lives. Now please, stop worrying, you'll get wrinkles," he said, kissing my forehead. I sighed again and leaned into his chest.

I opened my eyes and saw Simon and Mia walking back. There was at least a three foot gap between them and Mia had tears running down her face. I stood up and pulled Mia into my arms. She immediately started sobbing into my shoulder and was incapable of speech.

"Where's Izzy," Alec demanded, "And what did you do?"

Simon looked really uncomfortable when he said, "She said, more like yelled a few choice words at us, then stormed out of the airport."

Alec rose out of his seat, but just then we heard an announcement, "Flight A296 to New York now boarding, flight A296 is now boarding."

"Don't worry Alec, I'll take care of Izzy and let you know what happens. You guys are going to miss your flight," I said. Alec still didn't look to sure, so I looked at Magnus meaningfully and was satisfied to see that whatever he said to Alec calmed him down enough to board the plane.

I gave everyone one last hug, leaving Simon for last. "I definitely do not approve of your actions Simon, but you are still my best friend. Just get all your emotions sorted out, so that when we get back to New York, you know who you want to be with."

"I'm really sorry Clary," Simon said ducking his head.

I lifted his head until he was looking directly at me, "Just fix it." He nodded his head and got in line to board the plane. I turned to find Jace giving Mia a tissue and rubbing her back soothingly. I smiled, and then quickly remembered we still had to find Izzy.

"I think its time we go looking for Izzy," I said, voicing my thoughts. Mia looked at me with a frightened expression, but I wasn't about to let her back down and make things even worse.

"Alright," Mia eventually said, "let's go." I put my arm around her and led her out to Jace's truck, preparing myself mentally for what is about to go down.

**A/N: Well, what did you think? Gave you a lot to think about in this chapter didn't I? Do you think Izzy can ever forgive Mia? And now that Jace has his secret out in the open, will things change for the better? Please review, review, review! Your opinions are greatly appreciated! Happy readings!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while; high school sucks and I have way too many extra curricular activities going on! But anyways hope you like this chapter, things start to get very interesting…..**

Clary P.O.V

After leaving the airport we immediately went back to the house, but Izzy was not there. We split up with Jace driving around, Mia checking on the beach, and me staying home in case she made it back before us. I called her cell phone right away, hoping she'd answer, but it went straight to voicemail. I sighed and went onto the deck, needing some fresh air. As I reached the door, there was a faint odor in the air that made me wrinkle my nose. Lying there, in front of the back door, in a pool of blood was Sunshine. The breath shuddered out of me and I crumpled to the floor.

Tears were streaming down my face because this scene was too close to what Jonah's death was like. I could tell the fatal wound was coming from his head, just like Jonah's. I started sobbing uncontrollably for the poor canine. Who would do such a thing? And could it have something to do with Izzy's disappearance? I stood up uncertainly and took a hesitant step in his direction, when my feet came into contact with a small object. In my grief induced haze, I failed to see Izzy's phone lying off to the side of the door way.

I straightened up, more confused then ever now. Suddenly her phone lit up with a call from an unknown number. I composed myself and immediately answered it, hoping it would be Izzy, but it was something much, much, much worse.

"How's the search going?" He asked.

"Who is this?" I asked. The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. I wracked my brains trying to figure out who it was, but my mind was coming up blank.

"Awe, you don't recognize me? That's so sad, and here I thought we were getting to be such great friends," he said.

"Stop playing games. Where's Izzy?" I demanded.

"That's for me to know and you to find out. Maybe if you figure out who I am I'll tell you where she is. But for now, this is good bye," he said ominously.

"Wait!" I exclaimed. I was met by silence, but now I know who was on the other end of that phone. I started to shake uncontrollably and had to sit down with my head between my legs to calm myself. The shrill ring of my cell phone interrupted my calming breaths, but since it was Jace calling, I answered it.

"Hello," I said shakily.

"Clary, what's wrong?" Jace asked.  
>"You need to get here now," I said, "go get Mia on your way. We need to talk."<p>

"Are you okay? Have you found Izzy?" He questioned again.

"I don't want to talk about it until both of you are here. Please just get here as fast as you can," I said.

"We'll be there as soon as we can," he said, sounding nervous. I covered Sunshine was a towel and gave a silent apology for what had to happen to him. I then went to wait in the living room, not being able to take in the sight of Sunshine's poor lifeless body. As I waited for them to arrive, I started fidgeting with the hem of my shirt, not being able to keep still. Finally after ten agonizing minutes of waiting, Mia burst through the front door with Jace hot on her heels. I was about to run into Jace's arms when the ring of Izzy's cell phone froze me to my spot.

I straightened my shoulders and brought forth all the confidence I could muster, "Where is she Jordan?"

"Ahh," he said, "so you do remember me." Both Mia and Jace gave me worried looks, but I ignored them because if I looked at either of their faces, I would break down.

"What is it that you want? What could you possibly need Izzy for?" I questioned.

"Well, the plan was to wait for you to get home, but she got here first so I figured, why not? I could use a little distraction right about now and Isabel here isn't that bad to look at," Jordan said.

"Don't you even dare think of touching her!" I hissed, "Just tell me what the hell you want."

"Is it not obvious?" He asked, "You." The line went dead and I stood there in shock, not knowing how to proceed.

Jace quickly turned me around and looked me deeply in the eyes. "What did he say?" He asked.

I cleared my throat, "He kidnapped Izzy when she came back home. He wants…"

"What does he want?" Mia asked when my voice trailed off.

"Me," I said simply. I saw two different emotions on their face, shock, and anger.

"Like hell he will," Jace said angrily, pulling me to his side protectively.

"Well we have to go to the police! He cannot just do this. What if he hurts Izzy," Mia exclaimed.

Izzy's phone vibrated in my hand and I looked down to see a text message from Jordan. _"That's not a very smart idea. Did Jace ever tell you that my dad is the LA police chief? Time is ticking…."_

I showed Izzy and Jace the message and Jace immediately tried to usher us out the door, but I wouldn't budge. "Wait," I said. I quickly showed them Sunshine and tears immediately sprang to Mia's eyes and Jace looked away, not saying a word.

"We can't just leave him," I pleaded.

"But we can't exactly take him with us Clary. There's no time to give him a proper burial," Jace tried reasoning.

"But he was our baby!" I exclaimed, "He didn't deserve that!"

"Of course he didn't Clary, but Izzy doesn't have time right now!" Jace countered.

"Clary he's right," Mia agreed, "Izzy needs us right now. We'll give Sunshine the proper burial he deserves when we get this mess sorted out."

I knew they were right but this just wasn't fair! What is Jordan's sick fascination with me and why did he have to take it out on the ones I loved? "I know you're right," I said quietly, "Let's go, I hate the fact that Jordan somehow has his eyes on us."

Jace put his arm around me and we rushed out into his truck. "Mia text Lisa and just tell her that she shouldn't come home. Don't tell her anything about Izzy, I don't want her to worry and go to the police. Jordan was right, if we go to the police, they won't even believe us. Jordan's dad will just think we're lying and automatically take Jordan's side," Jace explained.

"Then what are we going to do?" I asked.

"Well we're definitely not going to do as he says," Jace said angrily.

"But if we don't he'll hurt Izzy! We can't just leave her there, I have to go," I said, even though I didn't want to get any where near Jordan.

"You're not going anywhere by yourself Clary. Jordan's thinking irrationally right now, I can't just let you go unprotected," Jace said, glancing over at me with nothing but concern for my well being in his eyes.

I sighed, seeing his point, but that still left Izzy alone with that creep. "What are we going to do then?" Mia asked quietly.

"We come up with a plan," I said with more confidence then I felt.

"Thanks for coming Jason, we needed the extra muscle," Jace said, patting Jason on the back.

"No problem, you know I'll be there for you whenever. Besides, I think its time somebody put Jordan in his place. I'm just sad that it had to take Izzy's kidnapping to do it," Jason said.

"Me to Jason, but I really appreciate you doing this. We have to save Izzy," I said.

"So does everyone know the plan?" Mia asked.

Everyone nodded their heads and got into action. The plan was for me to meet up with Jordan at an old fish factory about twenty miles from here. Jordan was the most cliché bad guy I've ever met. Meeting in an abandoned factory is so over used and he didn't necessarily appreciate me reminding him of that. Jason would sneak around and try to get Izzy out while Jace would keep an eye on me and Jordan. Mia would also observe from a safe distance with her video camera so that we could have proof of Jordan's evilness.

I took a deep breath and ventured inside of the factory, but it was too dark to actually see anything, so I took slow steps. I wrinkled my nose because the factory still smelled like rotten fish even though it hasn't been used in years. I kept my phone close in case things got bad, but I had faith that Jace would protect me if anything did happen. I took a few steps and peered around in search Izzy. "Awe, look who finally decided to show up," Jordan said, stepping out of the shadows and into the dim light coming in through the window.

**A/N: Oooohhhhh, cliff hanger! Sorry, I want to keep you in suspense while I write up an amazing rescue chapter! Don't hate me for killing off Sunshine okay! He will be dearly missed and he died honorably by trying to protect Izzy! Remember feed back is ALWAYS appreciated! Let me know what you think. Happy readings! P.S sorry its shorter then most of my chapters but I felt like I should cut it off there :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I'm so sorry this took longer then I said! I started the chapter and was half way there but I guess I forgot to save it on my computer and I lost it as well as all the other chapters on my computer! So I was kinda freaking out. I am really sorry! Hope you guys had a good holiday, enjoy! Warning: A few curse words.**

Clary P.O.V

"Well I'm here now, let Izzy go," I said harshly.

"Not so fast," Jordan said, "you did come alone right?"

"Of course I did," I lied, "your lack of trust in me hurts me Jordan."

He smirked, "You know I have every reason to not trust you. Don't you worry about Izzy; she's safe, for now."

I looked at him incredulously, "I don't get it. What's you big plan? It honestly makes no sense to me. What could you possibly get out of this?"

His stupid grin was wiped off his face and was replaced with a sickening look in his eyes. In a second, he was in front of me and grabbed me firmly by the arms. "You don't get it do you? This isn't about you, it never was. It's just an excuse to get Jace riled up. He gets everything in life handed to him and never has to work for anything. The fact that he has you too just makes my blood boil.

The one person I thought could resist him and you succumbed to him just like every other stupid girl. You may not look like all his other girlfriends, but Jace hasn't changed. As soon as you leave he'll move on to the next one. You're just a summer fling," Jordan raged.

Now I was the one with the boiling blood. I saw a red haze and wanted to hurt him physically like he hurt me emotionally. I tried wriggling out of his grasp, but he just tightened his grip on me. However, my legs were free so I brought my knee up and hit him as hard as I could. He dropped to the floor in pain and a string of profanities left his mouth. I was about to sprint to a door I saw leading to the back when Jordan's hand shot out and grabbed my ankle.

I came down hard and felt the air leave my lungs as I fell hard onto my chest. "Wrong move princess," he muttered into my ear.

"Marco," he called out, "why don't you bring out little Izzy and see what kind of fun we can have."

My mind froze, not counting on the fact that he might have had help too. I just hope Mason got to Izzy on time.

Izzy P.O.V

I'm still tied to this stupid chair! I can't believe how stupid I was. I let my guard down for two seconds and Jordan got the best of me. _When I woke up in this strange room he was the first thing my eyes landed on and I immediately flinched away from him. He smirked but came no closer to me. "What do you want form me?" I asked._

_"Nothing really," he said, "As long as Clary obeys me, you'll be fine."_

_"Clary would never…" I started but then realized that if she thought I was in danger she'd do anything to help me. "Jace would never let her do it," I said instead._

_Jordan chuckled quietly and walked towards the door, "Don't you worry your pretty little head; I'll get what I want sooner or later." As soon as he left the room I slumped in my chair and a tear slipped out of my eye. But it wasn't fear for me, it was fear for Clary. I really hope she's smart enough to stay away. I can handle myself._

Back to the present, I heard the door creak open and immediately sat up straight, not showing any weakness. I relaxed when I saw Mason, but what was he doing here? "Damn it Clary," I whispered to myself. She shouldn't have come, but there was no point now.

"Hurry, he could be here any second," I whispered to Mason. He nodded quickly and pulled out a pretty sharp looking swiss army knife. He started cutting through the thick rope and was about half way done when the door burst open. The guy had a bored expression on his face but when he saw Mason he sprang into action and ripped Mason away from my hands, but not before leaving me with the knife.

I quickly tried to cut through the rest of the ropes, but I could only hold the knife at an odd angle so I ended up cutting myself up a bit. Once I finally cut through, I held my hands up victoriously and looked up in time to see the stranger knock Mason in the head, causing him to be disoriented and lose his balance. It happened so suddenly. I was starting to get up to help Mason when the thug grabbed a crowbar from the corner and bashed it into Mason's skull. His body went limp and my eyes filled with tears.

I ran at the thug with a quiet animal like growl and without hesitation, plunged the knife into his neck. I pulled it out and he fell onto his back sputtering for air. Without regret, I plunged the knife into his heart and watched the life vanish from his eyes. I hurried over to Mason and felt for a pulse, but there was none. I closed his eyes and wept over my fallen friend. Then I heard it, "Marco what's taking so long?"

I quickly kissed Mason's forehead, apologizing for having to leave him behind, and rushed to the door. "Marco?" I heard again to my right. So I ran to the left and turned the corner just as I heard a door open and heavy foot steps running towards the room I just vacated. Tears were still streaming down my face, but after a few wrong tries, I found the back door. I smelled the fresh air and was about to run for help when an arm wrapped itself around my waist.

Jace P.O.V

When I lost sight of Clary and Jordan I panicked and called Mason's phone but he wouldn't pick up. I left Mia and went around to the back hoping to sneak in unnoticed. What I saw made my chest constrict. Izzy was standing by the door, alone, and covered in blood. Without thinking I grabbed her waist and she screamed and started flailing around. I grabbed her wrist before she plunged the knife she was holding into my shoulder. "Shh, Izzy it's just me. It's okay," I whispered into her ear.

She collapsed onto my chest and started crying. I carried her over to Mia and she immediately latched herself onto Mia. "I'm so sorry," Izzy kept saying, to whom she was saying it, I wasn't sure.

"Izzy what happened?" I asked. She took a few calming breaths and wiped her face on her shirt until she finally looked in my eye.

"Mason's dead," she whispered. I froze and Mia stared at Izzy with her mouth agape.

"This is bigger then us," Mia said, "I'm calling the police, I don't care what Clary said."

"Wait, where's Clary?" I asked frantically. Izzy looked at me with scared eyes, but said nothing. Just then I heard a scream that sent chills down my back. I immediately ran inside, hoping I wasn't too late.

Clary P.O.V

Jordan practically ripped my arm out of its socket when he dragged me to the back room in search of his evil henchman. As we passed by several rooms I hoped I'd get a glimpse of Izzy, but what I did finally see made me scream as if I were in a horror movie. There were two puddles of blood, one surrounding who I assumed to be Marco, and the other belonging to Mason. Jordan clamped a hand over my mouth and dragged me towards an empty room.

He pushed me up against the wall and angrily whispered right in my face, "You said you were alone. I knew I couldn't trust you." I tried to squirm out of his grasp but he just slammed me against the wall causing me quiet down immediately.

"You're going to be quiet," Jordan hissed, "Or I will hunt down every single one of your little friends and kill them, slowly, just for you to see." I stopped moving but I couldn't help the rage filled shakes that consumed my body. Jordan grabbed a rope and quickly but thoroughly tied my hands behind my back.

He peered behind the door and smirked at me before pulling out a shiny black gun. "Looks like your boyfriend decided to join us," Jordan said.

"Don't you dare hurt him," I hissed, glaring at him with every single ounce of my being.

"And what are you going to do about it?" He taunted me. He grabbed me and pulled me in front of his body. He opened the door another fraction and I could see that Jace had his back turned to us. I wanted to shout at him, but Jordan's tight grip on me reminded me that we were not safe.

Jordan took aim at Jace's back and I couldn't take it. "Jace look out!" I yelled. Jordan cursed but took the shot anyways. I rammed my body against him at the last second and the bullet lodged itself into the doorway instead of into Jace's back.

"Stupid bitch!" Jordan roared. Jace reached out towards me, but Jordan pulled me against him and brought the gun right below my breast.

"One more step and I shoot her," Jordan said calmly, which scared me even more then when he was yelling. Jace stood tall and leveled him with a cool stare. I locked eyes with Jace for a second, but I hope that was enough to convey the message that he shouldn't do anything stupid for me.

"Just let her go," Jace said, speaking just as calmly although his eyes said otherwise, "we both know this has nothing to do with her. So let her go and we can settle this as men."

"Your right, it's not completely about her, but she is the key to breaking you. I don't know what it is about her that caught your interest. Maybe it's her smooth snow white complexion," he said, brushing his hand over my cheek, "or maybe it's her fiery red hair." He grabbed a fistful of my hair and harshly brought my head back so that I was looking him in the eye. All I saw was a sick, soul-less man, with nothing better to do in his life, but hold old grudges.

He looked up at Jace, "Or maybe it's this." And with that said, he brought my face to his and roughly kissed me, forcing his slimy tongue into my mouth. As soon as he started though, he backed away and focused his attention on Jace. I wiped my mouth on my shoulder and saw that Jace had taken a couple more steps in our direction only to clench his fist so hard that his knuckles turned white.

Jordan smirked at Jace, "Finally everything isn't yours now."

Jace was starting to lose his cool, and fast. "Well she's certainly not yours. Fight me like a man Jordan. Stop hiding behind her."

Jordan started to visibly shake, "I am not hiding! Stop telling me what to do! We are not kids anymore; I don't have to listen to you!"

Jordan was slowly but surely coming unraveled before my eyes. He also loosened his grip on the gun significantly. A plan quickly formed in my head, but in order for it to work, I had to time it perfectly.

"You were always the perfect boy growing up. How do you think that made ME feel?! Even my own parents wanted me to be more like you! _'Jace is such a nice boy, why can't you be more like him?'_ or 'Jace_ doesn't disobey his parents, maybe you should be taking lessons from him' _Well, I have had it with everyone thinking you're a saint. You and I both know you're not," Jordan fumed.

"So this is how you're getting back at me? By hurting the ones I love?" Jace asked, staring at me with a look of hopelessness on his face. My heart jumped at the thought that Jace loved me, but then I remembered the situation we were in and I couldn't help but think negatively again.

"Come on Jace, you can't honestly love this," Jordan said, regaining his grip on me and shaking me slightly.

It was now or never. Jace was on the brink of attacking Jordan and I couldn't let him hurt himself. We have already lost Sunshine and Mason because of me; I'm not losing Jace too. What I'm about to do might not even work and it's the stupidest thing I've ever done, but I had to try.

Since Jordan was so focused on Jace I elbowed Jordan with all my might and wrestled his arms off me. I managed to get my hand around the gun and was about to pull the trigger on his foot when Jace decided to intervene, causing my aim to go way off target. **Bang, bang! **The force of the shots sent us sprawling in different directions. I landed on my side and immediately felt a blazing pain in my left side.

Jace P.O.V

After the shots were fired, I saw Clary on the floor but she didn't look injured so I went to go deal with Jordan. Before he could get up, I punched him so hard that my knuckles started throbbing. I continued kicking his ass until he was unconscious but even then, I kept going. I didn't stop until I heard a faint moan and somebody calling my name. I turned; fist still raised, and saw Clary reaching out to me. As soon as I saw the blood staining her hands, I forgot about Jordan and rushed to Clary's side.

"This is all my fault, I'm so sorry Clary," I said, tears coming to my eyes when I saw the pain in her eyes.

"Shh, don't say anything," I whispered to her when I saw her trying to form words, "I'm getting you out of here." I gently picked her up and being the stubborn person she is, she began to speak anyways.

"What about Jordan?" She asked quietly, her eyes slowly closing.

"Damn it Clary stay with me!" I yelled. She was fading fast and I didn't know what to do. I jogged to the front door, panicking at the thought of losing Clary.

"You can't leave me now Clary," I whispered in her ear, "I love you."

Clary P.O.V

I love you Clary. I love you. I love. I…..it was getting too hard to concentrate but I kept envisioning Jace and that seemed to keep me there for a while. I could tell we were outside because the air got significantly cooler and I heard two sharp intakes of breath. I also heard sirens that seemed to get closer and closer…..

I kept drifting in and out, not being able to focus on what they were saying. It was worth it though. Jace was safe and that was all that mattered. I was about to succumb to the darkness when Jace's voice brought me back to reality. "I'm not leaving her, let me come!" He demanded.

I felt somebody tugging me out of Jace's arms and I clung to him with what little strength I had left. "Jace," I whispered.

"I'm here baby," Jace whispered, "they're going to take you to the hospital. I'll meet you there okay."

"Don't leave me," I whimpered as they set me down onto the gurney.

"Never," Jace whispered. He held my hand and I gripped onto it like my life depended on it.

"Sorry sir," the paramedic said as he gently but firmly took my hand away from Jace's. I gripped his hand to the last possible second but let my hand drop to my side when all I could feel was the empty air. As soon as we drove away, I felt myself slowly slipping away. My heart started beating faster, and it was getting harder to breath. I felt my body go limp and everything went black.

**A/N: Well what did you think? Review because that really motivates my writing! Sadly this story is slowly coming to an end. Let me know how you want this story to end and I'll try to incorporate some over your ideas! I'm also thinking of doing a sequel. Would any of you read it?! Anyways happy readings guys!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: I know this is long overdue and I am extremely sorry! I am horrible when it comes to updating, so don't hate me! I love all my readers so so so much (: Your reviews always bring a smile to my face; except when you criticize me for spelling Mia's name wrong. Like seriously, if you're gonna criticize me then at least make it helpful! Anyways, I'd especially like to give a shout out to Disney4ever because she always gives me the best reviews. Even when I haven't updated in forever, she still sends me lots of love! 3 Anyways, here's the chapter, it took longer because my lap top is stupid and deleted it :P**

Clary P.O.V

Darkness, I was floating in darkness. I kept trying to rise to the surface but there was something tugging me down, not letting me see the light. All I wanted was to have Jace's arms wrapped around me, protecting me. Hopefully he's not freaking out right now. I did what I did because I love him. I love him. I love him. I love him. I kept this running through my head, holding onto my love for him to get me through this.

Jace P.O.V

We arrived at the hospital and I was out of the car in seconds, my fear of loosing someone else I loved motivating me. The thought that I might lose her had me breathing heavily and my heart ache. She can't leave me; I haven't told her I loved her yet. She has to live, I thought to myself, I can't handle loosing her too.

"Clary Fray, what room is she in?" I demanded of the startled receptionist.

"I'm sorry sir, you'll have to take a seat in the waiting room, they just wheeled her into surgery ten minutes ago," the frazzled receptionist said. I ran my fingers through my hair in a nervous gesture and nearly jumped out of my skin when I felt a hand on my arm.

"She'll be fine," Izzy reassured, "Clary's a fighter." She tried to look strong, but under the façade, I could see that she wasn't so sure.

"We shouldn't have let her go," Mia sobbed. Izzy collected her into her arms and led her over to the hard plastic chairs. I leaned against the wall knowing it was my fault. I don't know what I was thinking! I knew nothing good could have come from letting her go alone and look at where she is now. I slid down the wall until I landed on the floor with a soft thump. It's. All. My. Fault. With that thought running through my head, I let myself cry like I've never cried before.

Clary P.O.V

_Beep. Beep. Beep. _What was that damn beeping! Can't a girl get any sleep around here? Wait, where is here? I slowly opened my eyes just as a nurse walked through the door. "Oh good, you're awake. You've had many people worried about you. I'm sure they'll be happy to hear you're awake," she said happily.

I stared at her, confused, and then it all came rushing back. Jordan, me being shot, Jason, oh poor, poor Jason. Tears sprang to my eyes and I shuddered at the memory. "Don't worry dear," the kind nurse, said, "you're safe now." She came to my side and started stroking my hair like my mom would.

I swallowed back my sobs and asked her the question that was currently running through my mind. "Where's Jace?" I asked.

"Oh, he's in the waiting room. He hasn't left since you arrived here three days ago," Janet, that's what her name tag read, said.

"Three days?" I exclaimed, "I'm not a vampire am I?"

At her confused look I chuckled quietly. "Sorry, I've read the Twilight series one too many times," I smiled.

"No problem," she chuckled, "I'll let your friends come in now." Before I could so much as think, Jace was bounding through the door and bringing me into a bone crushing hug. I gasped but hugged him back just as tight.

"Okay," I squeaked, "crushing the gun shot wound victim here!"

He quickly pulled back and touched his forehead with mine. "I thought I lost you," Jace whispered. I smiled at him softly and caressed his cheek.

"I'm right here. Safe," I told him.

"But you wouldn't even be in here if it wasn't for me!" Jace exclaimed. He angrily pulled away and started pacing at the foot of my bed.

"Seriously Jace? We were having such a good moment. Why did you have to go and ruin it?" I groaned, trying to sit up in bed and failing epically. His expression softened and he came over to try to help me, but I angrily waved him away. After struggling for another minute, I managed to get into a comfortable position with the help of the bed remote.

"I'm sorry okay," he finally said. I didn't say anything and turned my head towards the window. I felt the bed sag down under the pressure of his weight, but I still ignored him.

"Are you really going to ignore me?" He asked sadly.

I sighed and finally turned to face him. And when I did, my heart almost broke because he was seriously scared that I was mad at him. I cuddled into his chest and let him put his arm around me. "I'm not mad," I finally said, "you just can't always put the blame on yourself. You're only human Jace. Things happen and sometimes we can't help them."

"I'm just so glad you're safe," he whispered, kissing me gently on the cheek.

We were quiet for a bit, but then my breath caught and tears formed in my eyes. "Jason is gone isn't he?" I asked.

I felt Jace's heart speed up and his arms tighten around me. "Yeah," he choked out.

"I'm so so sorry baby," I said. This time it was my turn to comfort him but he didn't cry. I don't think he has enough energy in him to cry. I just held him until he composed himself. When he did Mia and Izzy came bursting through the door, but their expressions were anything but reassuring.

"He's here," Izzy, panted. I stiffened in Jace's arms and clutched onto his shirt. I thought this was over! One of our friends is already dead because of him, what more can he do?

"Stay here," Jace commanded, his voice hard as steel.

"Jace, please don't leave me," I pleaded with him. I wasn't trying to be clingy or anything, but if Jace went out there, there would be a very big possibility that he wouldn't be coming back.

The next words I said would definitely take him by surprise, but hopefully they'd be enough to make him stay with me. "I love you Jace. I'm not going to lose you now, so don't even think about walking out that door," I whispered fiercely. I didn't realize I was crying until Jace was by my side, shakily wiping the tears from my cheeks.

"Now you tell me," Jace smirks and before I could say anything, his lips caressed mine with so much passion that my heart monitor was off the hook. He chuckled and pulled away so our lips were barely touching.

"If we weren't in a life threatening situation, I'd tease you for that," he whispered against my lips, "But I love you too." I smiled and my heart swelled with joy until I remembered the situation we were in.

"I hate to interrupt this pinnacle moment in your relationship, but what are we going to do?" Mia asked.

"How did he even get here?" Jace asked, "He's supposed to be in jail."

"I have no idea, but he's on his way up. The last we saw of him, he was shooting up the officers downstairs," Mia said.

"Well at least they're already in a hospital," Izzy said.

"Izzy!" I exclaimed.

"What! Sorry, I don't do well in these situations," she retorted, pacing back and forth. Then it hit me that Izzy was probably with Jason when he died. If anyone had the right to be snappy, it was her. Before we could come up with a plan, there were loud noises coming from the end of the hallway and I instinctively scooted closer to Jace.

"Crap, crap, crap, what are we gonna do!" Mia panicked.

"Clary I need you to hide in the closet," Jace commanded.

Immediately, I started to protest, "I'm not leaving you!"

"Clary, do it for me. Please?" Jace pleaded. I nodded reluctantly and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. Izzy and Mia supported me on either side and we quickly hustled over to the closet. We shut the door just as we heard the outside door open. I closed my eyes and prayed that things would turn out ok.

Jace P.O.V

"What are you doing here Jordan?" I asked, hands clenched by my sides.

"I have some unfinished business with you," he said calmly. My mind quickly went through different scenarios on how I was going to get the hell out of here alive. There's no doubt in my mind that I could take Jordan in a fist fight, but with that gun in his hand, he's calling the shots.

"Why'd you do it Jace?" Jordan suddenly asked.

"Do what?" I asked, confused but still mentally running over my options.

"Why'd you change and leave me behind?" He asked, his voice cracking towards the end.

"Why does that even matter right now?" I asked, "It's in the past. If you're here to kill me then get it over with already!"

"You always were impatient," Jordan mused, "Don't worry after you answer my question, one of us will be dead. Just, why?"

I sighed, exasperated with this whole conversation, "YOU changed Jordan. It was like some switch flipped once we started school and you blamed me for that. I tried to be your friend Jordan but you just pushed me away no matter what I did. I tried Jordan, believe me I tried, but I guess there's just some people you can't save."

"I guess that's all I needed to know," Jordan said, his voice eerily calm. I looked him in the eye, ready to face my fate. At least if I died now, maybe he'd leave Clary alone. The next few seconds seemed to drag on as I saw my oldest friend, turned enemy, put the gun to his head and pull the trigger.

Clary P.O.V

The minutes seemed to drag on forever. I managed to love again and the idiot I fell in love with is about to die. I nervously started biting my nails while Izzy and Mia tried to keep me calm. I could hear them talking, but I couldn't hear precise words. The moment I heard a gun shot, I burst out of the closet with Izzy and Mia both trying to hold me back. I limped to the other side of the bed to find a bloody sight. Jace was kneeling on the ground, simply staring at a now dead Jordan.

I let out a small sigh of relief but one look at Jace's face told me he was conflicted. I placed my hand on Jace's shoulder and he slowly turned his head to look at me. "Is it finally over?" I asked.

He got to his feet and pulled me into his arms. "Yes, we're safe now," he whispered. I hugged him and just let my tears flow. Everything I've been feeling these past few hours just poured out. My grief over losing the kind soul of a boy that just wanted to help, the fear of almost losing all my loved ones, and the tears of joy that this nightmare is finally over.

I felt two extra sets of arms wrap around me and soon we were all on the floor, weeping for our own troubles. Even Jace let a tear or two slip away, but he kept his head firmly hidden in neck so that nobody would notice. I didn't even notice the police officers that swarmed in until they were asking us to follow them for questioning. We wiped our faces and a wheelchair was brought in for me so I wouldn't have to limp down the hallway.

"Jace," I sniffled.

"Yes?" He asked, bending down so that we were eye level.

"We're gonna be okay right?" I asked, a few rogue tears slipping loose.

He kissed me sweetly on the lips and stared deeply into my eyes. "Yeah, we're going to be great."

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I wanted to write more but I felt like that was a good place to leave off on! I think there will just be an epilogue left, either that one more chapter before that. Please leave me detailed comments on what you thought and what you want the next story to hold! Happy readings! :D **


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